Moorish Eggplant Pilaf

This recipe is loosely based on the Eggplant Pilaf recipe in Moorish by Greg and Lucy Malouf, and my usual baby eggplant curry recipe.

It is not very different from the vegetable pilaf/pulao or chicken biriyani recipe in that this is a one-pot dish.

Now, it is no secret that I love eggplant and look for ways to make it often. This recipe just combines ideas from the slit-and-stuffed curry with baby indian eggplant and vangi bath, borrowing the spices and flavoring elements from Moorish by Greg and Lucy Malouf.

Some pearl onions, fresh mint leaves, fennel leaves, and spring onions from the home garden got thrown in as well, making this a quick and easy meal.

Ingredients
6-8 baby indian eggplant, slit and stuffed as in this recipe
1 medium red or yellow onion sliced thinly
3-5 pearl onions (optional)
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves
¼ cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
4-6 cups water or vegetable stock
1½ cups basmati rice or long grain rice
1 14oz canned diced tomatoes
2-4 Tbsp canola oil or olive oil
salt to taste
optional spices: 1 Tbsp sumac, 1 Tbsp cumin powder, 2 Tbsp hot chili powder

Preparation

1. Slit and stuff the baby eggplant as in baby eggplant curry or stuffed baby eggplant, varying the spiced masala filling to suit your taste
2. Heat oil in a pan, sauté the onions and garlic, add the tomatoes and a sprinkling of salt and spices, stir well, then add the mint and parsley in a single layer
3. Add the rice and stir it to coat well
4. Nestle the slit-and-stuffed little eggplant into the pot in a nice arrangement, add the water/stock, cover and allow to cook over medium lowtill eggplant and rice is cooked through till all the water is absorbed, turn off heat
5. Remove the lid, cover with a tea towel and put the lid back on to allow it to steam for about 10 minutes
6. Garnish with nuts and dry fruits if preferred, or with some fresh parsley or cilantro
7. Divide it into wedges so each serving gets one eggplant, and serve warm with plain yogurt on the side