eggplant and eggs, two ways
I’ve been meaning to post this for awhile now. Back in July, Tanveer (warning: beautiful photos will take over your computer screen when you click on that link) and Kelly invited me over for a supper of Bangladeshi food on their jealousy-inducing roof deck. We guests loaded up on insect repellent to brave Brooklyn’s hungry mosquitoes while Tanveer fired up the stove and braved the heat.
There was a Seussian sounding eggplant and egg dish, pairing deliciously soft eggplant with hard-boiled eggs. Is this a traditional Bangladeshi dish? Does it have a name? Is this ingredient combination common? Tanveer casually responded that he just tossed a bunch of seasonings on whatever was around, and if that makes it Bangladeshi, then cool. It was homestyle cooking at its finest.
I tried to re-create Tanveer’s creation at home by clearing out my spice pantry. Cumin, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric all went in, along with onions, garlic, and dried chilies. A squeeze of lime and some fresh cilantro were the finishing touches.
Then I attempted a Chinese version with rice wine, sweet bean paste, dried chilies, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. I topped it all off with some garlic chives (I wanted scallions but didn’t have any).
Next time, a sabich.
