Roasted Eggplant Raita

Roasted eggplant raita is a traditional recipe and is often made in our homes. The specialty if this raita is that the eggplant is fire-roasted that gives a beautiful smokiness to the raita. We make chutneys out of roasted eggplant too! This can be served as a side to rice, roti, paratha. Or it can be served as a chilled summer soup.

 

The asafetida added in tempering elevates the flavor immensely. Also mashing the eggplant with the green chilies and tempering which had red chilies incorporates the spiciness well. The flavors get rounded well. The sourness from curd, meaty eggplant, salt, heat from the chilies, and the pungent asafetida - it is like a marriage in heaven! Heavenly tasting raita! During summer, when I don't want to cook, I just add a few garbanzos on top and have this eggplant raita as a chilled soup. A pound eggplant may give about one and one-thirds of flesh. So the recipe can be halved too for making smaller quantities.

When I was a child, I couldn't decide whether I liked this raita or not. The smokiness was a little too much but I wanted to have second helpings too!:-) My mom's preparation is addictive. It happens that when we move far from mom, we tend to miss everything and I used to think about this raita more. I had a brain block whenever I thought of roasting in fire. Finally, one fine day, I went for it and it became an usual in my menu. Before the pandemic, when my mom visited us, she made it many times, I should say 2 or 3 times per week. It was not too much, we both love it and we devoured it. 

Farmer’s Market Week is always the first week in August. Whether you have a great local farm stand or market, are a member of a CSA or purchase your fruits and vegetables at the supermarket, follow our Pinterest board, for great recipes including those for appetizers, drinks, breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and more. This is my fourth recipe for the week.

Here’s more Farmer’s Market Week Recipes

Starters and Sauce Recipes

• Pineapple Cheese Ball by Take Two Tapas
• Quick Refrigerator Pickles by Cookaholic Wife

Side Dishes Recipes

• Air Fryer Corn on the Cob by Devour Dinner
• Chow Chow by Palatable Pastime
• Roasted Eggplant Raita by Magical Ingredients
• Sauteed Swiss Chard by House of Nash Eats

Main Dish Recipes

• Greek Farro Salad by SueBee Homemaker

Dessert Recipes

• Peach Crisp Popsicles by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Ingredients

Eggplant - 1, This weighed a little above 1 lb

(makes about 1 and 1/3 cup flesh)

Salt - 1.5 tsp

Yogurt - 2 cups

Thai green chili - 2 to 4, chopped

Tempering

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 spring

Asafetida - 1/4 tsp

Red chilies - 4 to 8, torn

Cilantro for garnish

Method

Wash and pat dry the eggplant. Apply a little oil on the eggplant. Switch on the gas stove on medium flame and start to fire roast the eggplant. Slowly turn or flip the eggplant to roast on all sides. The skin will have a nice char and will crack. This is an indication of doneness.

If a knife is inserted, it should easily go in to the eggplant without the application of any pressure. That shows that the inside is completely cooked.

Switch off the flame and leave it on a plate to cool. When it cools, the juice may flow out into the plate.

 

When cool enough to handle, peel the eggplant and transfer to a bowl.

Heat oil in a pan, add the ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds splutter add the asafetida and curry leaves. Pour it onto the eggplant mixture and add the chopped green chilies.

Mash them well. Mashing after tempering enhances the flavor and spiciness as the chilies also get crushed and the flavor is incorporated.

Add the yogurt and salt, mix. Transfer to a serving bowl. Add the reserved tempering. Garnish with cilantro if preferred.

Serve with rice, roti, paratha, or as a chilled soup.