Eggplant Tikka Masala

Did you know that chicken tikka masala is considered a national dish of Britain? Crazy that it’s that popular, right? When I was growing up, chicken tikka masala was something you saw on the Indian buffet line but no one I knew made it at home, and as such I never had a tikka masala sauce recipe passed down. When my husband and I were first married, we dabbled a little bit into similar dishes like paneer makhni (Indian cheese in a tomato butter sauce) with decent results but a lot of recipes we saw relied heavily on butter and cream. More recently, I contemplated a lighter version that uses roasted eggplant wedges and was thrilled with the results.
Ingredient Notes: The small round Indian eggplants (like around 4 inches long) that are sold in Asian or Indian grocery stores work well here, although they are not essential. Also, I recommend San Marzano canned peeled tomatoes as they are flavorful and easy to keep on hand. Finally, store-bought garam masala spice blends can really vary in quality. I am lucky to have some amazingly fresh, flavorful garam masala from the Bombay Emerald Chutney Company which delivers successful flavors in this dish without the need for a cupboard full of spices.

Ingredients:

• 8 small Indian eggplants or 1 regular eggplant, sliced into thick wedges
• 2 small yellow onions (one cut in thick slices, one diced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pat of butter
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 walnut-size piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 serrano, Thai chili or small jalapeno peppers, chopped fine
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (use 1/2 teaspoon for a milder flavor)
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, sour cream or half and half
• Salt
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425°F.
2. Lightly salt the eggplant wedges to reduce water content and set aside in a colander or on paper towels for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pat dry with paper towels.
3. Toss eggplant and thick-sliced onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread out on a roasting pan.
4. Roast eggplant and thick-sliced onion for approximately 12-15 minutes or until tender, and slightly charred. Set aside.
5. In a large saucepan, heat butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the stove over medium heat. As butter is melting, add and sauté chopped onion and then after a minute add minced garlic, grated ginger, and chopped peppers.  Sauté until onions are translucent. Stir in tomatoes.
6. Turn the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 8-10 minutes.
7. Turn the heat off. Use an immersable blender directly in the saucepan to puree the ingredients. If you do not have an immerseable blender, carefully transfer to a blender to puree the mixture, and then return it to the saucepan. If you transfer to a blender, please use caution to prevent spattering of the hot contents.
8. Stir in the yogurt, sour cream, or half and half. Mix in the roasted eggplant and onions.
9. Salt to taste and add a garnish of fresh chopped cilantro 🙂 prior to serving. Serves 6.

Variations:

You can substitute almost anything for the roasted eggplant in this recipe! The other day I added lentils and lightly cooked potatoes to the sauce for a hearty main dish. For something lighter, you can add roasted cauliflower and peas. And, of course, you can always add sauteed paneer, or grilled chicken or shrimp to the sauce as well. Enjoy!