Eggplant Vindaye
To celebrate the Mauritian Independence, Foodwini will be featuring many Mauritian-inspired dishes in March. To kick start the local cuisine series, we’re starting with our Eggplant Vindaye recipe or as we would say in Kreol, Vindaye Bringel.
Vindaye is a spicy dish and in Mauritius. Fish or Octopus Vindaye is very commonly served, either with rice, roti or bread. Packed with spices, onions and chili, Vindaye is generally served slightly warm or cold. If we’re going for a picnic, Vindaye is one dish that’s easy to carry along with bread.
We decided to try a vegetarian/vegan version with eggplants and we were not disappointed. The dish was mouthwatering and we finished the bowl pretty fast.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb eggplant
- 1 big onion (cut into cubes)
- 4 to 5 green chili
- 3 tablespoons vindaye spices (we used the vindaye spice mix from Steward’s Lazzat )
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
- salt to taste
- oil for frying
Preparation:
- Cut the eggplants lengthwise, then chop into cubes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, mix well and leave aside for some 20 minutes.
- Wash the eggplant thoroughly and drain. Add a little salt and deep fry them on medium heat. You want your eggplants to be well-fried. Once they are ready, take them out and keep them aside.
- Next, fry the onions on a high flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep them aside.
- In a bowl, add 2 tablespoon oil, vindaye spices, crushed garlic, lemon juice, some salt and mix. Add in the eggplants and onions and mix until they are well coated with spices. Toss in the green chili and give it a last stir.
Looking for other ways to use eggplants in your dishes? Try our Eggplant & Tofu Lasagna recipe.