As part of our new mini-series, “Our favourite recipes”, these two eggplant (aubergine) recipes have been kindly provided by Yee Yee Myint, from the Plant Protection Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation in Myanmar. She partners with us as a National Data Manager.
Burmese cuisine has been influenced by Chinese cuisine, Indian cuisine and Thai cuisine to create a delicious mix of colourful dishes. It includes a wide variety of flavoursome salads and curries.
Eggplant, Solanum melongena, is cultivated worldwide and is a common ingredient in many Burmese recipes. It belongs to the same family as tomato, potato and deadly nightshade (Solanaceae). Originally cultivated from its wild ancestor, Solanum insanum, in the Myanmar-Yunnan region, there are a larger variety of eggplants in Asia when compared to Western regions: from thin and purple, to round and white, to long and green.
Roasted eggplant salad recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized eggplants
- 4 medium-sized onions
- Roasted sesame seeds (5-10 g)
- Sprig of coriander
- Peanut oil (10-15 g)
- Salt
Method
-
Wash and roast the eggplant in an oven, ideally a charcoal oven - Roll the eggplant for about half an hour until the eggplant becomes tender or soft
- Peel the skin
- Add salt to taste
- Stir thoroughly
- Thinly slice the onion, wash and mix
- Add the peanut oil
- Pour in the roasted sesame seeds
- Add a sprig of coriander
Roasting the eggplant is what gives this dish its yummy taste!
Eggplant curry recipe
Ingredients
- 8 eggplants
- 2 medium-sized onions
- 5 pieces of garlic
- Fish paste
- Turmeric powder
- Prawn sauce
- Dried prawns (30-40 g)
Method
- Cut the eggplant into chunks, wash them and put them in a pot
- Finely chop the onion and garlic, add fish paste and prawn sauce to taste
- Add dried prawn and turmeric powder
- Stir thoroughly before cooking to mix well
- Add 100-200 ml of water to cook
- Pour in the peanut oil
- Cook for 20-30 minutes and stir 1-2 times
Also try pickled eggplant – it’s delicious!