Eggplant with Egg

This eggplant with egg recipe is a meat-free, yet high protein dish that works wonderfully for meat-free days or vegetarians who eat eggs. Super easy to make, you can prep ahead by baking the eggplant and then put it all together in minutes.

A while back, my husband’s lovely colleague from work invited us over for an amazingly delicious lunch gathering at her home with her family. Originally from Iran, she made a delightful spread with rich, varied dishes and mixtures of flavours. I became obsessed with one dish in particular later on; I wanted so badly to replicate it. It was an eggplant with egg dish.

Before this, I had never tried anything that mixed eggplants and eggs; I just never thought of this combination. This experience was an eye-opener; one of those epiphanies you sometimes have when you try a new combination of flavours and the results are magnificent!

Later on, I decided to try it out at home. I also experimented with a few extra additions. One time I sprinkled a generous amount of parmesan cheese on top, another time I added pomegranate molasses to add a bit of zingy-sweetness to the dish. Really, you can totally customise it according to taste; just make sure to add any new flavours in small increments at first to see how it goes.

Ingredients

1. 1 large eggplant
2. 3 tablespoons tomato paste
3. 1 medium onion (you can use brown or red)
4. 3 cloves of garlic
5. 1 large tablespoon sugar
6. 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
7. 2 to 4 eggs, according to the number of people, one egg per person.
8. Salt to taste, ground black pepper, cumin powder, pinch of smoked paprika, garlic powder and chilli flakes
9. 1 tablespoon canola oil
10. 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese or any other cheese you like (optional).

Method

1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit (for conversion to Celsius check the conversions page)
2. Wash the eggplant, then stab it with a sharp knife in several places (you can turn this into a therapeutic activity by imagining your worst enemy). This step is important because otherwise the eggplant might explode in the oven and you’ll have eggplant entrails all over your oven.
3. Bake the eggplant with the skin on for one hour or until the skin becomes shrivelled and the eggplant is soft.
4. Allow to cool until you can handle it with your hands. You can also refrigerate it overnight and make it the next day.
5. Heat the canola oil in a pot, add the onion and garlic, sauté until soft. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute.
6. In the meantime, mash the eggplant with a fork or masher into coarse pieces. Add the eggplant to the mixture in the pot. Season with salt and spices, sugar and vinegar or pomegranate molasses.
7. Preheat oven broil to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Ladle the eggplant mixture into an oven-proof pan and make small wells in it with a spoon. Crack the eggs into these wells. Sprinkle the cheese on top, if using.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the egg white has set but the egg yolks are still a bit soft. When serving, make sure to use a wide spatula to prevent the egg from breaking. Enjoy!

Have you ever tried eggplant and egg together in a recipe? How did you make it? For another great meat-free eggplant recipe, check out my Meat-Free Eggplant Pasta recipe!

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