Roasted Eggplant Biryani
with Currants & Almonds
- Almond
- Milk
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Soy
- May contain traces of allergens
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Brazil nut
- Hazelnut
- Macadamia
- Pine Nut
- Pistachio
- Walnut
- Cashew
- Pecan
Biryani – the fragrant rice dish hailing from the Indian subcontinent – gets a twist with this vegetarian version that uses cubes of roasted eggplant to add a ton of flavour, plus roasted almonds for crunch and a dollop of creamy Greek yoghurt to complement the mild spices.
Ingredients
1 unit
eggplant
½ unit
brown onion
1 unit
carrot
2 clove
garlic
¾ sachet
Bengal curry paste
1 packet
basmati rice
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy.)
1 packet
currants
(May be present: Gluten, Wheat, Milk, Soy.)
1 cube
vegetable stock
1 bag
coriander
1 packet
roasted almonds
(Contains: Almond; May be present: Milk, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy, Brazil nut, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Pine Nut, Pistachio, Walnut, Cashew, Pecan.)
1 bag
baby spinach leaves
1 packet
Greek-style yoghurt
(Contains: Milk;)
Not included in your delivery
olive oil
1.5 cup
water
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Chop the eggplant into 2cm chunks. Thinly slice the brown onion (see ingredients list). Thinly slice the carrot (unpeeled). Finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). TIP: Cut the veggies to the correct size so they cook in the allocated time.
Place the eggplant on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast until tender, 20-25 minutes. TIP: Eggplant is done when it is very soft to the touch, roast it for a few more minutes if it is still firm!
While the eggplant is roasting, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the Bengal curry paste (see ingredients list) and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add the basmati rice and currants to the saucepan and stir to coat. Add the water and crumbled vegetable stock (1 cube for 2 people / 2 cubes for 4 people). Stir to dissolve the stock, then bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 16-18 minutes. TIP: Add a little extra water if the liquid is absorbed before the rice is done!
While the biryani is cooking, roughly chop the coriander leaves (reserve some for garnish!) and roasted almonds. Once the rice is done, add the baby spinach leaves and stir through until just wilted. Stir through the chopped coriander, almonds and roasted eggplant. TIP: Seasoning is key in this dish! Taste and season with salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
Divide the roast eggplant biryani between bowls and top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt. Garnish with the reserved coriander leaves.
