Indian Eggplant Parmesan

Are you feeling adventurous? 

I had read this recipe about a week ago and couldn't wait to try it!  I decided to cook a separate dinner for the rest of my family - Josh did taste it and decided "it's not that bad".  Quite the endorsement, huh?  And, actually, I didn't love it last night.  Now, this morning I reheated some and simply placed the plain yogurt over the reheated eggplant - it was amazing.  I did change around the recipe just a bit in order to utilize the ingredients I already had.  Check out the original recipe here.

She had me at "Indian Eggplant Parmesan".  

Eggplant Curry with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetit magazine, courtesy of Perry's Plate
for the cucumber-yogurt sauce:
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped

for the curry:
2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 lbs total), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch slices
About 1/2 cup oil for sauteing and frying
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
5 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 T curry powder
1 1/2 T garam masala
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken/vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the yogurt sauce, mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Sprinkle eggplant slices lightly with salt. Let them stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, tomatoes, curry powder and remaining spices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until soft, about 6 minutes. Add wine/broth; let some of the liquid cook off, another 3-5 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree with a stick/immersion blender or transfer to a blender and process until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Pat eggplant slices dry. Coat both sides with flour.

Heat 2-3 T of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as needed, fry eggplant for about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Lightly oil an 11x7x2 baking dish. Place about 1/3 of eggplant on the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/3 of curry sauce over the eggplant, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layering two more times. Bake until bubbling around the edges and cheese is golden, 45-50 minutes. 

Spread a little cucumber yogurt sauce on each plate and place a square of the eggplant curry on top of the sauce. Serve with sliced cucumber and pita bread, if desired.

Serves about 6.