Eggplant sticks with yogurt sauce
Most of the time when I buy eggplant, it ends up in the oven. I don’t know if it’s out of habit, lack of more creative ideas, or simply because it tastes so good baked that I always feel like repeating it. This time, however, I decided right from the supermarket that I would give it a better fate, and it wasn’t easy—I had to dig through cookbooks and food blogs, as none of the recipes convinced me enough to take the plunge.
Then I took a look at a book I bought the last time I was in Madrid (Wok. Asian Cooking for Every Day) and found my source of inspiration. A whole experience that I will definitely repeat, and I’ll think twice before locking an eggplant in the oven again ;).
Ingredients for 2 people
1 large eggplant
150 g creamy plain yogurt
2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil instead)
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 dried chili peppers
1.5 teaspoons salt
Preparation
Wash the eggplant and cut it first in half, then into slices, and finally into sticks. Salt it and let it rest on a slightly tilted plate so the bitter liquid drains out as it sweats.
Toast the cumin and poppy seeds in a pan without oil (you don’t need a wok for this), over medium heat until they release their aroma. Grind them in a mortar and set aside.
Heat the butter or oil in the wok and sauté the chili peppers, previously cut into small pieces. Remove the liquid released by the eggplant and add it to the wok. Sauté until golden, for about 5–10 minutes.
Mix the yogurt with 120 ml of cold water and stir until you get a smooth liquid. Add this mixture to the wok and cook for another 10 minutes.
Finally, add the sugar and the ground cumin and poppy seeds, and stir well.
Things to keep in mind
You can serve it with pita bread, toasted bread slices, or roasted potatoes.
The original recipe also includes fennel seeds; I omitted them because I didn’t have any, but if you want to use them, add them to the wok at the same time as the chili.
