Our Chef in Residence, Noreen Wasti, has shared a flavorful new vegetable-forward dinner recipe that highlights our Lucid Lemon Olive Oil.
"Olive oil isn’t traditionally used in South Asian cooking, but I believe we need to change this! It works so well with many dishes complementing fragrant spices and traditional cooking methods. This recipe is for an eggplant and zucchini bharta — bharta refers to a dish where vegetables are cooked down (typically including eggplant and tomato) with spices until soft and tender. Lemony Lucid is key here, bringing a mellow zing, while also transforming the veggies into the most jammy, melty texture. I love making dishes like this when I want a veggie heavy meal that’s satisfying and delicious. Serve alongside steamed basmati rice or naan, and of course a little yogurt." - Noreen Wasti
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
1 medium size yellow onion, sliced into half moons
2 zucchini (about 1 lb), peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 plum tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1-2 Thai green chilies, chopped, plus more to garnish
juice of 1 lime
handful chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
Instructions
Heat Lucid Lemon Olive Oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the eggplant and onion. Let cook for 10 minutes, tossing often. Don’t worry if it looks like the eggplant has soaked up all the oil, it will release later in the cooking process.
Add the zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, ground coriander, chili powder, fennel seeds, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, ginger, and salt. Mix to combine and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add the green chilies and cover the pan with a lid.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook for 20 minutes. Stirring every few minutes. If required, add a splash of water to keep moist.
After 20 minutes the vegetables should come together into a tender, jammy, and thickened consistency. Taste for salt.
Add the lime juice and the chopped cilantro. Stir to combine.
Drizzle the bharta with a few glugs of Lucid Lemon Olive Oil and garnish with torn cilantro and fresh green chilies on top.
