Curry of Tofu, Mushrooms, and Eggplant

As I was sorting last week’s CSA vegetables and making plans for them, I came upon a couple of eggplants that left me stumped. Although they were eggplants of the Mediterranean variety, I just wasn’t in the mood for ratatouille or eggplant parm. What I really wanted from those eggplants was a Thai kind of curry, and then I found this dish in The Vegetarian Table Thailand. When big chunks of eggplant get to simmer in a coconut milk-based sauce, they become tender and enriched with flavors from the spices and herbs. They become silky-textured, almost buttery chunks that absorb all the flavors around them, and this is possibly my favorite way to eat eggplant. The recipe has a very long ingredient list but it’s actually very simple to prepare.

First, the eggplants were chopped and salted and left in a colander for 10 minutes before being rinsed and dried in a towel. Then, coriander and cumin seeds were toasted and ground to a powder. Coconut milk was warmed with red curry paste and the ground spices. Meanwhile, tofu chunks were fried, and then the dried eggplant chunks were fried. Once the fried items were all draining on paper towels, some chopped shitake mushrooms were stir fried with peanuts, and then the tofu and eggplant were added to the pan. The coconut milk mixture was poured over the vegtablesa and tofu and that was all left to simmer for a few minutes. Thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves, basil, sliced chiles, and a little soy sauce were added while it simmered.

You really can’t go wrong with the combination of coconut milk, lime, and chiles. The tofu and eggplant acquired that mix of flavors and the mushrooms and peanuts added dimension. The curry just got better as the leftovers sat in the refrigerator overnight, and it was even more delicious for lunch the next day.

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