Eggplant Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Begun-er Raita

Raita is an Indian side dish or salad of yogurt containing chopped cucumber or other vegetables and spices. It is usually served alongside rich dishes like biryani, pulao or with kababs. The yogurt dressing helps to tone down spicy dishes, soothing the palate with its creaminess. Greek yogurt is a good option, as opposed to regular unflavoured yogurt, because it is already drained of its whey, making it thick and creamy.

Cutting the eggplants into thick rondelles and lightly frying them preserves the integrity and texture of the vegetable, otherwise eggplants tend to break down easily and turn mushy. Marinating the rondelles of eggplant with salt and powdered spices like turmeric, fennel and Kashmiri mirch (paprika) serves to saturate the eggplants with flavor from the inside out.

To keep the yogurt dressing from curdling or separating, it is added and stirred into the eggplants after removing the skillet from the heat source. This salad tastes best if it is chilled in the refrigerator prior to serving.


Ingredients
4-6 Japanese eggplants, cut crosswise into 1.5" rondelles
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds (mouri), dry toasted and ground into a powder
1/2 tsp. Kashmiri mirch powder/paprika
1 (8 oz.) unflavoured Greek or drained regular yogurt, whipped
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. Bengali 5 spices (panch phoron)
1/4 tsp. sugar or to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1 medium tomatoes, diced
2-3 small green chilies, minced
4-5 small green chilies, left whole
1/2 tsp. Bengali 5 spices, dry toasted and ground into a powder
1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Directions

1. Toss eggplant rondelles with next 4 ingredients and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat half the oil and fry eggplants until golden brown, remove and set aside.
3. To the same oil, add remaining oil and temper with whole panch phoron.
4. Add onions, tomatoes, and minced green chilies, and stir-fry until tomatoes break down.
5. Remove from heat and add whipped yogurt, stirring in by the tablespoon-full to combine with rest of ingredients until it's all used.
6. Adjust seasoning with salt and sugar to taste.
7. Arrange fried eggplants in a serving dish and top with yogurt sauce.
8. Garnish with powdered Bengali 5 spices, cilantro and whole green chilies.

Serve salad chilled as part of a Bengali meal.