Eggplant Bhartha with Saffron Quinoa

This is one of my absolute favorite Indian dishes. I've been buying eggplant at the farmer's market, but then am stumped to think of what to do besides tossing it with pasta. I've always got peas in the freezer and grains in the pantry, so this dish came together in a matter of minutes. I love cooking Indian food at home now that my spice rack is stocked with traditional spices. It's easy to adjust the heat level, you can serve it with whatever grain you'd like, and best of all, it's a fraction of the price for a lot more food.

I loosely used this recipe, mostly as a guide for the spice amounts, which I then adjusted to my tastes. I also roasted the eggplant, then tossed it in the sauce. I served this with saffron laced quinoa, the saffron just added a touch of flavor and made it a little more than just plain quinoa. Get to the market and buy up the last of this season's eggplant so you can make this dish soon!

Eggplant Bhartha with Saffron Quinoa

adapted from this recipe

1 medium eggplant, diced

2 tbsp. EVOO, divided

Salt and pepper

1 large yellow onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground corriander

1 tsp. garam masala

1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1 c. frozen peas

optional garnishes: plain yogurt, cilantro

2 c. prepared quinoa tossed with a pinch of saffron threads

Preheat oven to 400*

Toss eggplant with EVOO, salt and pepper on a baking sheet.

Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and beginning to brown on the edges.

In a nonstick skillet over medium, saute' onion and garlic in 1 tbsp. EVOO until onions begin to brown.

Add tomatoes, spices and peas. 

Bring to a simmer, taste and adjust seasonings.

Add eggplant, stir gently until combined, serve with quinoa.