Roasted Eggplant Recipe with Almond Butter Coconut Sauce

When you’re a kid and your parents mention eggplant, they might as well say, “We’re having fried cockroaches with beetle blood sauce for dinner.” Actually, some kids might find that more appealing than the dreaded eggplant. So, when my kids ran inside, clutching three white eggplants (though you can use any type of eggplant for this recipe) from our garden, I began to scramble for ways to squelch that nasty reputation. With our love of Asian flavors (I know, I know…twice in one week), I thought I could reel them in with a take on a satay sauce, using almond butter instead of the usual peanut version.

Making this appetizer or side dish takes very little effort. That is a very good thing because I am decidedly low on effort by the end of the week. Just one little point to remember when making your dinner prep plans. The eggplant will need to be salted and left to rest in a colander for 1 hour before roasting.

While this may seem like an overly picky instruction, I can assure you that it will make a big difference in taste and texture of the eggplant. If you’re someone who’s always avoided eggplant because you found it too bitter, this little tip will change your feelings toward the humble aubergine.

And then there’s the sauce. While the eggplant is roasting, toss all of the sauce ingredients – almond butter, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, chili-garlic sauce (found in Asian aisle of the supermarket), fish sauce (don’t be scared; the flavor melds with the sauce) and lime juice – into the blender and pulse away. Briefly heat it on the stovetop and the sauce is ready to go.

“What did the kids think?” you ask. Better or worse than fried cockroaches? Considering that they haven’t actually tasted fried cockroaches, it would be unfair to say that the eggplant won. However, I will tell you that they took more than one bite and gave it a three-quarters thumbs-up. That’s pretty darn good in our household (it’s a tough crowd).

As for me…well, I polished off two plates of these roasted beauties, drizzling on a little extra sauce on the second go-round. Definitely a keeper.

The recipe:

The eggplant:

Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch slices. Sprinkle both sides of slices with kosher salt and, using your hands, gently press the salt into the eggplant.

Lay the eggplant slices in a colander, set in a sink, and let it rest for 1 hour. This will help to draw some of the bitterness and extra liquid out of the eggplant, and will help to give the vegetable a pleasing taste and texture.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove the eggplant slices from the colander, rinse off the salt and pat dry with paper towel.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the eggplant on the foil and brush both sides of the slices with olive oil.

Roast the eggplant for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.

The sauce:

While the eggplant is cooking, make the sauce. In a food processor or heavy-duty blender, combine the almond butter, lite coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce and lime juice. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the sauce into a small saucepan set over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is warm and slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. You may find that you have some sauce left over. Drizzle it in wraps or over a serving of brown rice.

Divide the eggplant slices between plates and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with minced cilantro. Serve.

Instructions

The eggplant:

Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch slices. Sprinkle both sides of slices with kosher salt and, using your hands, gently press the salt into the eggplant.

Lay the eggplant slices in a colander, set in a sink, and let it rest for 1 hour. This will help to draw some of the bitterness and extra liquid out of the eggplant, and will help to give the vegetable a pleasing taste and texture.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove the eggplant slices from the colander, rinse off the salt and pat dry with paper towel.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the eggplant on the foil and brush both sides of the slices with olive oil.

Roast the eggplant for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender.

The sauce:

While the eggplant is cooking, make the sauce. In a food processor or heavy-duty blender, combine the almond butter, lite coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce and lime juice. Pulse until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the sauce into a small saucepan set over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is warm and slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Divide the eggplant slices between plates and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with minced cilantro. Serve.

Notes

The sauce is inspired by Asian Wraps by Nina Simonds.

2.0

almond butter,

aubergine,

coconut,

eggplant,

recipe,

roasted,

sauce,

vegan,

vegetarian