WHB: Fried Eggplant With Walnut And Mint Sauce

Last week, I incorrectly stated that this weekend is the one year anniversary of WHB, which was created by our Kalyn. Wrong!  It's next weekend, so if any of you would like to take part, you have a whole week to come up with a dish and join in the festivities. Go to Kalyn's site and she will give you all the info on how to be an herb blogger.  Try it--you'll like it. 

I picked the last of my eggplants this week and wanted to use some of them for WHB.  Yesterday, I fixed a very simple dish of fried eggplant and walnut sauce from Deborah Madison's cookbook, The Savory Way.  I think the dish took less than 15 minutes to make, and if I had made the walnut sauce in advance, it would have taken much less time than that.  The sauce is wonderful and very healthy, as walnuts contain lovely omega-3 oil.  It's taste can be changed according to the herbs you choose to add to it. In this case, I used mint.

Here are the last of my lovely eggplants. I harvested some gorgeous fruits this year.  My tomato bushes are still producing small specimens that taste quite good. 

The walnut sauce is very simple to make and improves with age, so it can be made in advance and stored for up to a week in the fridge.  You simply process walnuts, a garlic clove, and bread crumbs until it has a mealy texture. Then add hot water, with the food processor going, until the sauce has the consistancy you like.  Then you can add various herbs, spices, chopped scallions, yogurt, and lemon juice.   I added fennel seed which becomes stronger over time, a good reason to make the sauce a few days ahead of time.  I added mint, but you could use cilantro, parsley, dill, etc. I liked the idea of mint because it's a little different paired with the eggplant. I rarely buy mint since an area of my yard was colonized by it. Mint is very aggressive, but frankly I'd rather have it try to take over my yard than Bermuda Grass.  However, if you plant it, you would be wise to grow it in a container. And even then it will do it's best to jump out of the pot and take over your yard.

I fried the eggplant in a little oil until it was golden brown, something which took barely 5 minutes.  This was such a quick, but delicious meal.

Fried Eggplant With Walnut And Mint Sauce   (Deborah Madison, The Savory Way)

Salt
4 slices of eggplant about 1/2 inch thick
safflower. olive or peanut oil
walnut sauce
freshly ground pepper

Lightly salt the eggplant in advance and let it sit for 15 minutes, if you want. I didn't do that and my eggplant didn't taste bitter at all.   Mine were freshly picked, so I don't know if that affects the fruits to not be bitter.  They weren't.

Put a film of oil in the non-stick pan and heat over high heat until hot and add the eggplant pieces. Immediately turn the slices over so that the eggplant is coated with oil on both sides, then fry over medium heat until golden and soft on both sides.

Serve with the walnut sauce spooned over the eggplant and garnished with herbs of your choice.

Walnut Sauce With Yogurt And Mint

1 cup walnut meats
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2-3 teaspoons walnut oil
1/4 teaspoons crushed fennel seeds
salt, freshly ground pepper

Put the walnuts, bread crumbs, and garlic into a food processor and process briefly until the texture of fine crumbs.  With motor running, add 1 cup of the water. Stop and scrap down the sides and then add more water until it's the texture you want.   Stir in the oil and fennel seeds and season to taste with salt and pepper.  If your not going to serve it right always cover and refrigerate.

You may add chopped herbs of your choice, but I used mint. I added the following:

2 Tablespoons plain yogurt
1 Tablespoon chopped mint
1 scallion finely chopped
cayenne pepper or paprika
lemon juice t taste
mint leaves, paprika to garnish

Comments

[Kate]

That does look really good, and I love a simple, easy meal. I ought to give WHB a shot....

[Kalyn]

Next year I have to plant eggplant. Also, more roma tomatoes to to make roasted tomatoes. This looks great!!

[gattina]

Sher,
if I slice the eggplant to very very thin (like potato chips), can they turn crispy?
Anyway, I'll try as I love your sauce!

[Bea at La Tartine Gourmande]

Mmmmm, lovely taste in my mouth just looking at your gorgeous aubergines!

[Julie]

Sher, your garden really produced an impressive amount. And you of course cooked up some delicious things from your garden. This looks like another wonderful, delicious dish. You have a knack for spotting really good recipes.

[Garrett]

Hmm, I'm not sure about this. I love mint and walnut, but am undecided about eggplant.

Oh, and the wind today!? The car next to ours in the parking lot was crushed by a tree! I guess the good karma I built up cashed in today? (Or the other guy's bad karma did...)

[Scott at Real Epicurean]

Note: Eggplant is Aubergine in the UK.

This recipe looks very interesting. I'm not 100% convinced the combination will work, but I'm prepared to give it a go.

The different flavours here - mint, walnut, and aubergine are all distinctive in their own right, so it will be an interesting culinary experiment.

[Jenn]

I was thinking about you on your vegan diet, and wondering if I would be able to do that. I'd miss eggs for SURE, but I think if I had a nice supply of giant portobello mushrooms and eggplant done up on the grill I might be okay. They're both such "meaty" vegetables - and SO delicious. I wish I could get those fat Italian eggplants here. All that's available is the thin Japanese ones.

[Lisa]

Oh, Sher, this looks outstanding!!! Must tag it and make it next week, after farmers' market. Wow.

[sher]

Kate,

Yes!! Do try it! I'm sure you'd have a great time.

Kalyn,

Yes, your recipe for the roasted tomatoes is just fabulous! And the tomatoes you grew did quite well. I'm sure you'd do great with eggplant too.

Gattina,

I'm not sure if you can get eggplant really crispy. But, if you bread it and fry it, you could get a delicate crunch. :)

Bea,

Thank you! "Aubergines" sounds so much prettier than "eggplant"!

Julie, thank you so much. I have to admit, the eggplant sort of took care of itself. It was very easy to get a good crop.

Garrett,

The great thing about the walnut sauce is that you can combine any herbs you like!

Scott,

I think you will like it very much. And the walnut sauce tastes great on other things, as well. I put some on whole wheat bread this morning--delicious!

Jenn,

I like the Japanese eggplant very much--but I also like the big ones too. It's nice to have a big slice of eggplant and make little pizzas out of them! Yum!

Lisa,

Hope you enjoy it!!

[ejm]

This looks wonderful. I've only just recently discovered the wonders of walnut sauce and really like the idea of adding mint to it.

Your eggplants are gorgeous!

-Elizabeth

[Karina]

YUM. [I love fried eggplant.] What an inspired combo of flavors.

[Mae]

I knew what i was getting myself into when i've decided to come and visit your site...

I fry my aubergines like that too but no walnut sauce. I've never had walnut sauce.

Strangely enough and this is an acquired taste, i eat mine with tomato and onion salsa dressed with anchovy sauce and steaming hot jasmine rice.

[Anna]

what am i doing wrong? my mint is happy just growing tamely in it's pot??? i want mint take-over!!!

[Sarah]

Oh, this looks yummy.. and perfect timing too!! I just both 3 pounds of walnuts! I'm going to try it for sure.