Stuffed Eggplant, Potato and Wax Peppers (Amar D. Gupta | Siliconeer)

An exotic veggie preparation that tastes as good as it looks. Chef Sanjay Patel shows how to make it at home.

Ingredients:

  • 6 baby eggplant
  • 6 baby potato
  • 4 wax peppers

For the peanut stuffing:

  • 110 gm redskin peanuts
  • 2 tbsp gram flour, toasted in a non-stick pan until aromatic
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin seeds
  • 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp ginger, grated
  • ½ tsp red chili powder
  • Handful fresh cilantro, chopped finely
  • 1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the tomato sauce:

  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida
  • 1 400 gm tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 5-6 curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp red chili powder
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tsp sugar

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients for the stuffing, except the oil, in a blender. Pulse 5-10 times until roughly ground. Place in a glass bowl.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a small saucepan until hot and shimmering. Slowly pour the oil onto the peanut mix and combine. Set aside to cool.

Par boil the baby potato then set aside to cool. Once cooled, slit the potato and wax pepper half way so you have and opening to stuff them. Trim the tops of the eggplant. (I like to leave a little stalk for pretty presentation). Slit the eggplant crosswise from the bottom, almost all the way through – leave the stalk area uncut. Stuff each eggplant, potato and wax pepper with the peanut masala. You should have a little bit of the stuffing left over – keep it aside.

Place the eggplant, potato & wax pepper in single rows in a microwave and oven-safe dish. Cover the dish with cling film (plastic wrap) and make a hole in the top. Microwave on full power for seven minutes. Remove the cling film and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Add cumin seeds, asafetida, curry leaves, tomatoes and then the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for a few minutes. When bubbling, add the leftover stuffing mix and combine.

Pour the sauce over the eggplant, potato and wax peppers and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.