Baked Eggplant Moju
Baked eggplants in a savory sweet sauce from Sri Lanka
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- 10 whole peeled shallots
- 6 Thai green chilies
Frying /tempering
- 1 inch pieces of ginger- minced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes optional
Sauce and marination
- 1 tsp red curry powder
- 1½ tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tsp of sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut vinegar
- 1 tsp yellow curry powder
- salt
- 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant into thick strips. Add salt and yellow curry powder to the eggplants, rub the seasoning in marinade for 10 minutes.
- Deep fry or air fry eggplants until Deep golden brown. baking works as well. They will shrink as they fry. Set fried eggplant strips aside to drain.
- Blanch whole shallots and green chilies for 1-2 minutes over medium hot oil. Drain on paper towels. set aside for later.
- Make the sauce by mixing mustard, salt, half of red curry powder, sugar, tomato ketchup and vinegar in a bowl.
- Heat couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry a teaspoon of minced shallots, ginger, and garlic. Add fried eggplant strips, blanched shallots, green chili, and the sauce. mix gently under low heat. Add crushed red pepper flakes if you like this spicy dish.
- Taste test and adjust balance the flavors. The dish needs to be in a slightly sweet savory side with a little hint of spicy heat.
- Cover and let the flavors marinate for a day before serving.