Vegan

Malabar Eggplant (Crispy Eggplant with Spiced Coconut sauce. gluten-free)

Malabar eggplant — crispy eggplant in a shredded coconut red chili curry sauce — is a delicious introduction to the deep flavors of South Indian Malabar cuisine. Serve it with naan or flatbread and some dal for a veggie-packed meal that’s also packed with flavor!

malabar eggplant in the pan with toppings next to it

Some veggies can be difficult to like when made simply. Eggplant is one of those. This Malabar eggplant is packed with flavor and texture and is very versatile. You can bake the eggplant or pan fry it. And you can even use other veggies instead, like cauliflower.

South Indian Malabar cuisine is a mix of multiple regional cuisines in Southern India. It’s heavily influenced by coastal and Kerala cuisine along with the many other nearby areas, because of the region being a major trade route. Kerala was considered “the spice garden of the ancient world,” because it produced flavorful spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, and pepper.

Trade, migration, and invasion brought influences from Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Malaysian, and other cuisines to Malabar region(north kerala region).

If you want to explore Malabar cuisine further, also check out my Malabar veggie curry

But back to this eggplant.

The other day I had lots of eggplant on hand, so I decided to make a Malabar-style eggplant , the sauce of which is inspired from crisp and spiced Malabar Chikin recipes. Usually I use cauliflower in this recipe, but you can basically use whichever vegetable you have handy. All of the flavor is in the batter, and that batter is super delicious. After battering and baking or frying the veggies, you toss them in this easy sauce and serve with some tofu curry or dal. You can also replace half the eggplant with tofu to ale this into a meal!

fork lifting up a bite of malabar eggplant

The sauce for Malabar eggplant is on the dry side. If you want to make the dish saucier, you can add in some coconut milk. The sauce can also be rather hot, so adjust as needed based on your heat preference.

???? Why You’ll Love Malabar Eggplant

melt-in-your-mouth eggplant coated in a flavorful, crispy-crunchy batter
incredibly shredded coconut curry sauce with option to make it even saucier!
versatile! Make it with eggplant or cauliflower or protein like tofu or seitan or soycurls and adjust flavors and textures to taste.
naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

More Eggplant Recipes

South Indian Eggplant Curry Casserole
Eggplant and Tofu in Soy Lime Sauce
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Baingan Bharta– mashed spiced eggplant

Continue reading: Malabar Eggplant (Crispy Eggplant with Spiced Coconut sauce. gluten-free)

The post Malabar Eggplant (Crispy Eggplant with Spiced Coconut sauce. gluten-free) appeared first on Vegan Richa.

Vegan

Indian-inspired Masala Vegetable Pot Pie

This deeply seasoned vegetable pot pie has this amazing creamy white masala sauce that is flavored with from garam masala and other Indian spices! Topped with crispy, puff pastry rounds, this is a total comfort food casserole. (soy-free with nut-free and gluten-free options) originally published May 23 2017

close-up of masala vegetable pot pie in the baking dish

This veggie pot pie has all things I love: creamy, spiced sauce; loads of veggies and greens; and it’s topped with crisp, flaky biscuity puff pastry.

It is so easy to put together. The sauce comes together really quickly in a blender. Then, chop your veggies or use frozen vegetables for an even easier pot pie. Top with your favorite made-ahead biscuit dough or puff pastry sheets cut into rounds.

The hardest part about making this veggie pot pie is waiting to devour it as it bakes. It makes the house smell so amazing!

The masala cream is a simple blender sauce with cashews, non dairy milk, and spices, and it’s super versatile. You can use it to make a white sauce curry, bring to a boil to thicken, and add roasted veggies, baked tofu, baked veggie balls, chickpeas, cooked soy curls, etc.

You can also make this casserole into individual portions in small ramekins with a biscuit on each. Just bake for less time.

No matter how you make this, it’s an easy, crowd pleasing, fun pot pie casserole.
Wishing you all an amazing holiday season! If you’re looking for gifts for family and friends, do consider getting one of cookbooks!(some deals right now on some retailers).