90 Min

GF

Roasted Eggplant with Goat Cheese & Yogurt

It’s almost the end of the local eggplant season in Texas, and I have been flush with hundreds of pounds to play with at the restaurant, courtesy of nearby Knopp Branch Farm. My favorite way to cook them is to smoke, mash and turn them into a pickle, masala or a spread.

However, when cooking eggplants at home, I resort to simpler ideas, such as searing them on a skillet and finishing them in the oven. There are ample choices of what to top the eggplants with — cheese, herbs, chopped nuts, nut butter, yogurt, spices and more. I have tried them and love them all. When cooked perfectly, cutting into an eggplant almost feels like cutting into a good piece of meat.

Share this recipe

Cook Time

90 Minutes

Serves

3

Directions

Step 1

Cut the eggplants into half lengthwise. Sprinkle two teaspoons salt over them and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain or pat dry before cooking.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a large skillet or frying pan and add 4 to 5 tablespoons oil. Place the eggplant halves cut side down and cook them on medium to high heat for 7 to 8 minutes or until they turn a rich brown. The inside should feel almost done.

Step 3

Flip the eggplants over and cook for another minute, then turn the heat off.

Step 4

Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet and top each eggplant (seared side up) half with the remaining salt, cardamom, more oil if needed, serrano, and dollops of goat cheese. Place them in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes until the cheese is melted and the eggplant looks almost puffy.

Step 5

Remove from the oven, top with dollops of yogurt, a drizzle of honey and herbs and serve. If the eggplant appears dry, drizzle a little more olive oil on top.

Notes & Variations

Pre-salting the eggplant results in the liquid being drawn out of the eggplant, rendering the flesh more tender and easier to cook.
After the eggplants have been seared, they can be refrigerated and finished the next day.
Replace the goat cheese with another melting cheese.

Ingredients

3 medium purple eggplants (roughly 1 pound)

1 tablespoon sea salt, divided

1/4 cup olive oil or ghee, divided

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 serrano pepper, sliced

2 ounces goat cheese

2 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

Fresh herbs (optional)

Step 1

Cut the eggplants into half lengthwise. Sprinkle two teaspoons salt over them and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain or pat dry before cooking.

Step 2

Step 3

Flip the eggplants over and cook for another minute, then turn the heat off.

Step 4

Step 5

Remove from the oven, top with dollops of yogurt, a drizzle of honey and herbs and serve. If the eggplant appears dry, drizzle a little more olive oil on top.

3 medium purple eggplants (roughly 1 pound)

1 tablespoon sea salt, divided

1/4 cup olive oil or ghee, divided

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 serrano pepper, sliced

2 ounces goat cheese

2 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

Fresh herbs (optional)

Notes & Variations

Pre-salting the eggplant results in the liquid being drawn out of the eggplant, rendering the flesh more tender and easier to cook.
After the eggplants have been seared, they can be refrigerated and finished the next day.
Replace the goat cheese with another melting cheese.

Tags:

90 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Ghee Pot

$40

A solid brass pot with steel lining. Ideal for ghee or other kitchen ingredients.

Tags:

90 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Ghee

$10

Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in ancient India.

Ghee Pot

$40

A solid brass pot with steel lining. Ideal for ghee or other kitchen ingredients.

Don't like goat cheese? We're here to change your mind.

You haven't had it in the recipes below! Once you do, you'll be president of the goat cheese fan club.

GOAT CHEESE, YES PLEASE

Asparagus Goat Cheese Cakes with Mango

Stuffed Baby Peppers

60 Min

GF

Bengali Baby Eggplant Curry

Eggplants grown by a farmer from Congo in a curry made with poppy seeds native to Bengal, India comes together here in Houston, Texas. They are ready to be cooked in an African stew or a Bengali curry.

45 Min

GF

Bengali Indian Eggplants

These eggplants are native to India but can be found at Asian or Indian supermarkets in most major cities.

35 Min

DF

GF

V

Boronia

Eat it over warm toast, stuffed into an omelet or with roti or pita. It’s good warm, room temperature and cold.

45 Min

GF

Eggplant Sabzi

Eggplants are having a moment in Houston, just about every farmer’s table is bursting with varieties of these purple berries, from the large heirlooms to the tiny little green eggplants. Eggplant is one of the few vegetables which, when cooked right, can give me the satisfaction of meat. And when paired with the aromatic flavors of Bengal, the lush eastern state of India with dense coconut groves and fields bursting with greens and vegetables, eggplant can truly be a thing of beauty. Today, I bring you a humble eggplant sabzi (sabzi simply means cooked vegetable in Hindi). Cooked with pungent mustard oil, which is often considered Bengal’s olive oil and hints of cumin and jaggery, this sabzi can be enjoyed over rice, with rotis or other flatbreads or over toast.

20 Min

GF

Simple Smoked Eggplant

Eggplants are wonderful and versatile ~ they satisfy the meaty urge, taste good cold and can be seared, broiled, braised or smoked. During my years as the chef-owner of Indika restaurant in Montrose in Houston, I was forced to rein in an eggplant obsession when a cook pointed out that we had eggplant nine different ways on the menu - from pakora to pickle to raita. When it is eggplant season, there are plenty of varieties on farm-stand tables at local farmer’s markets. So, ignore the nightshade naysayers and cook this supremely simple smoked eggplant. Eat it with steamed rice or a roti. Or spread it on a warm toast the next morning and enjoy it for breakfast!

25 Min

DF

GF

V

Smoked Eggplant Dip

This dip is inspired by the traditional Baingan Bhartha, a Punjabi favorite smoked eggplant sabzi (aka, roasted vegetable dish).

60 Min

GF

Smoked Eggplant Masala

This recipe is inspired by the Punjabi “baingan bhartha,” which essentially translates into spiced eggplant hash.

25 Min

GF

V

Smoked Eggplant with Fig Masala

Smoking over a gas stove or an outdoor grill is the easiest and fastest way to cook eggplant – especially a heirloom variety with beautiful white pulp and minimal seeds.

40 Min

DF

GF

V

Smoked Eggplant with Kalonji

Eggplant charred on a gas stove top develops a smoky flavor and a perfect texture for a spread or a dip.

55 Min

GF

NF

Roasted Eggplant with Cherries

This is a show-stopper. The eggplant is rich and savory from the ajwain and fennel while the cherries add a sweet, fresh brightness.

30 Min

Asparagus Goat Cheese Cakes with Mango

We are always looking for ways to incorporate vegetables into our food and in this recipe, the goat cheese works like a binder and adds flavor to the asparagus.

90 Min

GF

Beet Yogurt Salad

The earthiness of the beets pairs well with the creaminess of the yogurt and cheese.

60 Min

NF

Dewberry Galette

While we are all familiar with raspberries and blackberries, there is a wild and delicious Texas cousin that grows along thickets and pastures meet the dewberry.

30 Min

Goat Cheese, Beet & Sage Salad

Warm goat cheese is delicious enough on it’s own but when mixed with spices and seasonings it’s even better!

120 Min

Heirloom Tomato Bread Pudding

No matter what part of the world you live in, local heirloom tomatoes are in season for no more than 2 to 3 months. They truly tell the story of the local soil and air.

30 Min

Orange Amaranth Salad

If you are lucky enough to snag the incredible feta cheese from Blue Heron farms, you will have yourself an amazing salad!

30 Min

GF

NF

Stuffed Baby Peppers

There are umpteen ways to stuff peppers - this recipe will work for 4 large peppers as well.

30 Min

NF

Wild Mushroom Toast

Cooking the stems and roasting the tops bring out a wonderful textural contrast with the toast.

25 Min

GF

Winter Citrus Salad

A layered citrus salad in the winter, especially using nice oranges like Cara cara or blood oranges can be a great start to a meal. They can also be served after dinner posing as a salad cum dessert! Variations are limitless – it’s all in the art of the composition so have some fun with it.

60 Min

GF

Bengali Baby Eggplant Curry

45 Min

GF

Bengali Indian Eggplants

These eggplants are native to India but can be found at Asian or Indian supermarkets in most major cities.

35 Min

DF

GF

V

Boronia

Eat it over warm toast, stuffed into an omelet or with roti or pita. It’s good warm, room temperature and cold.

Drinks

Drinks

Hot Drinks

Cold Drinks

Cocktails

Condiments

Condiments

Raita

Chutneys

Pickles

Masala

Grains

Grains

Buckwheat

Khichri

Millet

Noodles

Quinoa

Rice

Whole Grains

Dough

Dough

Roti

Paratha

Naan

Bread

Crackers

Pizza

Batter

Batter

Dosas

Pancakes

Crepes

Savory Baked

Savory Baked

Biscuits

Bread Pudding

Soups

Soups

Light Soup

Creamy Soup

Dal Soup

Stews

Cold Soup

Snacks

Snacks

Chaat

Spreads

Fried Snacks

Nosh

Legumes

Legumes

Dal

Beans

Salads

Salads

Veg Salads

Non-Veg Salads

Land & Sea

Land & Sea

Eggs

Birds

Meat

Fish

Shellfish

Paneer

Paneer

Paneer

Vegetables

Vegetables

Sabzi

Potatoes

Mushrooms

Eggplants

Cauliflower

Squashes

Root Vegetables

Vegetable Curries

Green Vegetables

Okra