Indian-Style Curried Eggplant in the Slow Cooker

 I love the intoxicating marriage of spices that enriches the Indian food experience.  However, I am not a fan of the time investment required to watch things simmer over a hot stove, especially as the weather starts to get warm again.  Welcome then is the wonderful slow cooker, which makes it possible to prepare Indian-style dishes in a minimum of time.  Most of what I have learned in this department has been inspired by Anupy Singla, and this recipe is a modified version of the ginger-garlic eggplant recipe in her first cookbook.

I remove some of the extra spices and garlic, creating a more mild but deeply satisfying eggplant dish well suited to my palate.  I use powdered spices here instead of fresh, for convenience.  To make this eggplant dish you will need:

• 1 medium-size eggplant
• ~1 tablespoon or more of powdered ginger
• 1-2 teaspoons of cumin seeds
• 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric
• chili and salt powder to taste
• ~1 tablespoon of oil of choice (olive oil works well here)
• plain yogurt and cilantro for garnish

1. Wash and cube the eggplant.
2. Add cubed eggplant and spices to the slow cooker, toss to coat.
3. Add oil, toss again to coat.  Make sure that your slow cooker is 2/3-3/4 full.
4. Cook on low until eggplant is tender.  If you are in the kitchen and interested in the progress of your eggplant, check on it every 1-2 hours or so.  Cooking time is flexible here, the eggplant tends to be forgiving if it is cooked longer than necessary.   My eggplant cooked for about 3 hours.
5. Garnish with yogurt and cilantro.
6. Enjoy!

Leftover eggplant, if you have any, goes nicely in this sandwich wrap.  If you enjoyed this post, also check out our slow-cooked red lentil dal and our rice pudding.