Spiced Roasted Eggplant
Published August 8, 2024
Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist. Cyd Raftus McDowell.
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 small Italian eggplants (1 ½ pounds)
½ cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
11 grams carbs; 290 calories; 20 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 28 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 360 milligrams sodium; 2 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Step 2
Prepare eggplants by slicing off their tops and a fine layer of skin from their bottoms. Slice the eggplant into 1-inch-thick rounds and place on the lined pan.
- Step 3
Make your spice oil by combining the olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt and red-pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the spiced oil onto the faces of all the eggplant slices, then flip each one over and repeat on the second side.
- Step 4
Roast for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to flip over each round. Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, or until soft, browned and crisp. If you’re looking for a little extra color, broil the eggplant, watching carefully, for about a minute.
Private Notes
Comments
This sort of roasted eggplant is the basis for Alison Roman's "A Little Eggplant Parm" which is the BEST EGGPLANT parm in the world..so yummy. Her instructions for roasting are "take it there"...meaning get a really good brown on it. You'll never eat fried eggplant parm again!
I have been making something similar to this recipe for about 30 years. It is one of the best ways of making wonderful tasting eggplant. There are a few changes I make. First use a double the salt and leave eggplant slices in a colander for 20 minutes to sweat. Wipe the slices carefully with paper towels. This will get rid of the extra salt. Use a third of the oil specified. Then broil for 5-6 minutes per side. It tastes better if you let it go a little longer, but that has the risk of burning.
TThe oven is no place to spend the summer. Salt the EP for 30 minutes because it’s easier than heating to draw water out and less polluting too. Do all the above but treat the EP as a steak. A teaspoon of oil rubbed onto each side plus salt and pepper is a good start. Dress it with lemon or balsamic vinaigrette or sauce vert (herbs, oil, garlic, etc.
Using small eggplants, the minimum time (30 minutes) at 450 burnt them quite thoroughly.
Is it possible to cook this in an air fryer? My new oven has one that Ike wanting to use.
This is a nice way to handle roasted eggplant. But when it’s too hot to turn on the oven, trust Mark Bittman’s method of grilling planks of eggplant outdoors. The planks make up a great base for eggplant “lasagna” too! His article is in the NYT archives and all his thoughts on eggplant are luscious!