Sometime around last month it just so happened that I cooked spicier dishes two days in a row, and my son Sanjay was definitely not happy about it. Don’t get me wrong, Sanjay likes spicy dishes but I think I went overboard on those two days!
The next day while I was in my kitchen trying to cook something and spotted an Italian eggplant in the fridge, I took a vow that the end product should not only “taste” mild, but also should not “look” spicy! I made a conscious decision to skip red chilies, chili powder, turmeric or any garam masala to help achieve my goal. And I threw in a handful of roasted peanuts (my son’s favorite!) into the dish at the end and I hit a home run!
There you go, this is the story how I “invented” this awesome “Eggplant Peanut Porial” dish in Senthil’s Kitchen that has become a huge family favorite. My son constantly reminds me to make this dish often and I made this dish again yesterday. He loved it so much he also packed his school lunch with the leftover portion.
Eggplant Peanut Porial
Ingredients
- 1 lb Eggplant (Italian) cubed
- ½ tbsp Coriander powder
- ¼ cup Coconut paste or grated
- ¼ cup Peanuts roasted
- 2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped, for garnish
- Salt to taste
Tadka items
- ½ tbsp Mustard seeds
- ½ tbsp Chana dal
- ½ tbsp Urad dal
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 Green chilies chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic chopped
- 1 pinch Hing
- 1 tbsp Oil
Instructions
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Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and when they splutter, add chana dal and fry for few seconds. Add urad dal and cumin seeds next and fry for few seconds till they brown a bit. Ensure that the tadka is not overly browned as we do not want to see blackened tadka bits in the dish, we want to see the natural colors of eggplant!. Quickly add curry leaves and hing and sauté for a few seconds and then add chopped onion, green chilies and garlic and fry for 3 to 4 mins.
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Add cut eggplant cubes, coriander powder, salt, sprinkle some water and give a good stir and close the lid and cook for about 3 mins.
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Open the lid, stir the contents and cook for about another 3 mins.
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After about 5 to 6 mins of cooking, add roasted peanuts, coconut paste and give a good stir. Check and adjust salt level. Continue to cook uncovered for about 3 to 4 mins until the eggplant turns a bit soft stirring every now and then.
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Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional) and enjoy with rice or chapathi (or as a snack as my son Sanjay does!).
Recipe Notes
- I used big Italian eggplant, but any type of eggplant of your choice can be used.
- Allergy Substitutions: Peanuts can be substituted with other nuts like almond, walnut, cashew, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, etc. Coconut paste can be substituted with roasted sesame seeds paste. You can also cook this dish without any nuts or coconut.
Hello, my name is Senthil. I am a passionate food blogger from Houston, Texas. This is my online kitchen, and I will be cooking delicious recipes for you, provide kitchen tips that I have learned over the years, and share personal stories and fond memories around food. Keep checking out for new stuff!
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