Enjoy a bowl of coconut-crusted eggplant paired with our Thai Green Curry. The combination of the sweet, crunchy eggplant and the rich, creamy curry offers a wonderful fusion of flavors and textures. This dish strikes a balance between sweetness and mild spice, allowing you to enjoy complex flavors without overwhelming heat.
Recipe and photo credit: Nabia Ahmad
Ingredients:
- 1 globe eggplant
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
- 1/2 cup of coconut, desiccated
- 1/2 cup of wheat flour
- 1/2 cup high heat cooking oil such as peanut
- 1 strand fresh lemongrass, chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Curry Spices:
- 2 tablespoons Thai Green Curry
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoon salt
optional 1/2 cup of cooked jasmine rice for serving
- Cut eggplant into about 1/2" slices, and steam until fork tender.
- Combine the soy sauce and gochujang in a medium bowl . Add the steamed eggplant and marinate in for 10 minutes.
- Heat cooking oil in medium frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Combine flour and coconut in shallow bowl. Remove half of the eggplant slices from marinade and coat in flour/coconut mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove from pan onto cooling rack and let cool while you make the curry.
- Heat a teaspoon of cooking oil in a shallow frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Add chopped garlic, lemongrass, and green onion, and fry until translucent .
- Remove the second half of the eggplant from the marinade and add to pan along with the coconut milk.
- Combine the curry spices together and add to pan. Remove from heat before the curry starts to boil.
- To serve, place rice in bowl, spoon curry eggplant mixture over and top with fried eggplant slices. Enjoy!
Serves 2