Easy Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce

This refreshing and soothing eggplant with yogurt sauce is a great side dish to serve with your next spicy Indian curry dinner! Why? Because you serve this one cold! What do you think about that!

I love eggplant.

How about you?

Eggplant

And there are just so many delicious recipes to make with this gorgeous vegetable!

What is your favorite when it comes to eggplant recipes?

There is one eggplant dinner that we make a lot here.

And that is an Italian oven baked eggplant parmigiana (aka eggplant parmesan).

Amazing comfort food!

Easy Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce Indian Style

So tonight I am craving something Indian…

Let’s see what I still got in my fridge.

Yogurt!

How about a creative little dish of eggplant with yogurt sauce? This eggplant in yogurt sauce is a great side dish for a spicy Indian curry dinner!

Raita

I am sure that the freshness of the yogurt sauce is a great way to cleanse and sooth your burning tongue because that is what you will need while you tuck into a spicy dinner like curries and such.

That is why you will often see curries that come with a serving of delicious raita, a cold yogurt dip that can contain cucumber, fresh herbs, onions and so on.

So what do you say where you live?

Eggplant or aubergine?

Eggplant vs Aubergine

I am from Belgium and both in Flemish and French we say aubergine.

My British neighbours also say aubergine but I have a feeling that in the US eggplant is used instead. Am I right? Let me know in the comments below if that is true!

Are you looking for more creative eggplant recipes to try out?

Then you should also take a look at my classic creamy baba ganoush! Or how about these spicy Szechuan eggplants with pork mince! I love that dish to bits, I picked that idea up in Hong Kong in a food court somewhere.

Enjoy this eggplant with yogurt sauce!

Easy Indian Style Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce Recipe

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Indian Style Eggplant in Yogurt Sauce

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

This refreshing and soothing eggplant in yogurt sauce is a great side dish to serve with your next spicy Indian curry dinner!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 2 people

Calories per serving: 454 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 medium fresh eggplant
• 1 small onion chopped
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 medium garlic clove chopped
• 1 tbsp mixed seeds fennel, mustard, cumin…
• ¼ cup whole milk (60 ml)
• 4 tbsp unsweetened yogurt
• ¼ cup vegetable stock (60 ml)
• a handful fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• olive oil
• pepper
• salt

Instructions

1. Slice the eggplant into ⅓ inch (0,8 mm) thick slices.

   

2. Pour some olive oil in a non-stick pan and place it over high heat until hot. Then add the eggplant. You can also do this in batches if necessary. Sear and fry the eggplant slices on one side for 4 minutes until golden.

   

3. Then flip them over, drizzle with extra olive oil and brown the eggplant for another 3 minutes until soft. Then transfer the baked eggplant to a plate. Bake another batch of eggplants until it's all cooked.

   
4. Add some olive oil to the pan again together with the mixed seeds, garam masala and some pepper and salt.
   
5. Stir the spices for a minute. Also add the chopped onion and the garlic.
   
6. Stir well and turn the heat lower. Fry the onion for 3 minutes. Then add the milk, vegetable stock and tomato paste.
   

7. Stir well until the tomato paste has dissolved. Cook the onion until soft. Then put the pan aside until cooled. Add the yogurt and the chopped cilantro.

   
8. Stir and check the seasoning. Add extra pepper or salt to taste. Then add the baked eggplant to the pan and cover the slices with the yogurt sauce.
   
9. Let the eggplant marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature. Serve lukewarm.
   

Cooking with Yogurt

Do you often cook with yogurt?

I have to admit that I use yogurt in my kitchen, but most of the time in cold dishes.

Like in a dipping sauce or a salad dressing. Or in indian curries like butter chicken.

Using yogurt in warm dishes can sometimes be a little bit tricky.

Why?

Because yogurt tends to split quite easily once you warm in through. Depending on what yogurt you use, and its quality it can even turn sour. That is why I am not a huge fan of it.

I will make an exception for butter chicken for instance. If the yogurt becomes a little curdled, I usually give it a quick blitz with my stick mixer.

Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce

My Persian yogurt soup is an exception though.

I am very careful in this recipe above.

The yogurt only goes in when the onions have cooled down.

And that onion and yogurt dressing goes into the cooled fried eggplants.

Yes, this is a cold vegetable side dish.

One that packs a punch! It looks innocent enough but hold your horses.

You will love it!

Recipes with Yogurt

Besides my eggplant with yogurt sauce, what other dishes do you know that contain yogurt?

I immediately think of tzatziki, the classic Greek cucumber ant mint dip.

Are you a sweet tooth?

Then you might like my almond and yogurt cake!

Or how about my fail proof lemon and yogurt panna cotta?

Enough ideas to get you experimenting in your kitchen this weekend!