Coconut Milk-Braised Eggplant with Shiitakes and Scallions Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Braise

by: Emma Laperruque

April3,2018

4.4

8 Ratings

Coconut Milk-Braised Eggplant with Shiitakes and Scallions Recipe on Food52 (1)

Serves 2 to 4

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Author Notes

Most braises are low-and-slow—this one is low-and-fast. And it just happens to be vegan. I borrowed inspiration from Alexandra Stafford, who borrowed inspiration from Julia Turshen: Curried Lentils with Coconut Milk . I like this best served with rice, but warm, pillowy flatbread would be perfect, too. —Emma Laperruque

Test Kitchen Notes

Featured in: —The Editors

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

2 graffiti eggplants (about 175 grams each, 5 to 6 inches in length)
¹/₄ cupextra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 pincheskosher salt, plus more to taste
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced or Microplaned
1 teaspoonground cumin
1 teaspoonground turmeric
³/₄ teaspoonground mustard (preferably Colman’s), plus more to taste
¹/₂ teaspoonground coriander
¹/₂ teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
2 cupssliced shiitakes
7 scallions, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
¹/₄ cupbarely chopped cilantro
¹/₄ cupbarely chopped basil
¹/₄ cupbarely chopped mint

Directions

Halve the eggplants lengthwise. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a cast-iron Dutch oven and set over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, flat side facing down, and sear until deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Flip, season the tops generously with salt, then brown for another 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, cumin, turmeric, mustard, coriander, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Stir. Cook for about 4 minutes, until the shallot is starting to slouch and the spices are super fragrant. Add the shiitakes and a pinch of salt. Stir. Cook for a minute or so until wilted. Add the scallions and a pinch of salt. Stir. Cook for a minute or so until wilted. Add the coconut milk. Stir. Add back the eggplant pieces, flat side facing down. Adjust the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, then flip the eggplant and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, or until tender. Season with more salt and mustard to taste.
Just before serving, garnish with the herbs.

Tags:

Coconut
Coriander
Cumin
Eggplant
Green Onion/Scallion
Milk/Cream
Mustard
Shallot
Mushroom
Braise
Cast Iron
Vegan

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Emma Laperruque

Recipe by: Emma Laperruque

emmalaperruque.com

Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

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9 Reviews

Brenda M. January 8, 2023

This was quite good and had a real depth of flavor. I was surprised that the eggplant tasted so smoky with this cooking method (I used a Japanese eggplant split down the middle and in half). It wasn't quite enough quantity-wise so I added peeled and cubed sweet potato (sauteed in the same pan after I removed the eggplant...I also removed the sweet potato after it was soft and charred and then kept the rest of the steps). Sweet potato was a nice addition I think I'll repeat.

FAQs

Why do you soak eggplant before cooking? ›

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Discover More Details ›

Do you have to salt Japanese eggplant before cooking? ›

In most cases, that's just not necessary. After an extended series of experiments, I found you only need to salt eggplant if you're going to be frying it, and even then only sometimes. If you're cooking it in some other way — roasting, grilling, steaming — salting has no effect.

What is the secret to cooking eggplant? ›

Eggplant is about 80 to 90 percent water, so when you put them in the oven they need space to evaporate all that water and caramelize properly," says Covarrubias. Give them a toss halfway through the cooking process to make sure they're cooked evenly, too.

Read On ›

How do you remove toxins from eggplant? ›

However, eggplants also contain a substance, solanine, which is used to defend themselves against fungi and insects. It is precisely on this substance that the bitter taste of the eggplants depends. To eliminate it, the most common methods are soaking in water and vinegar and the salt technique.

Do you have to rinse eggplant after salting? ›

Furthermore, adding a good amount of salt will help tenderize the eggplant and keep its shape. Let the eggplant sit: Place the seasoned eggplant over a colander for 30 minutes to an hour. Once beads of moisture start to appear, rinse your eggplant slices under cold water and remove excess salt.

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What happens if you don't salt eggplant? ›

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Explore More ›

Why do you soak eggplant in water and vinegar? ›

Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness.

Find Out More ›

Do I rinse eggplant after salting? ›

You'll need 30 minutes at the minimum, but you can leave them up to an hour and a half. Watch for moisture beading up on the eggplant, which is what you want. Rinse the salt off. Run the eggplant under water for a minute or two, making sure you get most of the salt off.

Get More Info ›

How do you prepare eggplant before cooking? ›

Slice or chop the eggplant. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Transfer to a colander over a plate and set aside for 30 minutes to drain. This draws out the bitter juices.