Stuffed Vegan Eggplant

When it comes to an eggplant, I don't want to waste your time by talking to much about myself and just go straight to a recipe. Our family loves eggplant, especially my husband, he absolutely loves everything I make with it! Our top recipes with eggplant are Tortilla {but we have it only once in a while, because it contains gluten, the recipe will apear this week}, Eggplant curry and now this new recipe goes to our top list too - Stuffed vegan eggplant.

I didn't plan to make a recipe today, because it was my first time to make this and I usually make a recipe few times before sharing it on my blog, just to be sure it's the best it can be, but this will be an exception, because it was really good and I want to share it with you right now!

Ingredients:

4 servings

Eggplant

• 2 eggplants 
• 2 carrots
• 1 zucchini 
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• spices: curry, cinnamon, sweet red pepper powder, salt, turmeric, mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce (with at least 50% tomato paste)
• 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise 
• 2 black peppers
• vegetable oil

Rice

• 1 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 2 1/2 cup water
• turmeric, salt, cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

Sauce

• tomato sauce {you can use tomato paste, but you will need more water and a little bit of salt and sweetener}
• spices: curry, cinnamon, sweet red pepper powder, turmeric
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

Eggplant

1. Scoop out the eggplant pulp, it should look like boats. The removed eggplant part use for the filling.
2. Eggplant halves sprinkle with salt and set aside to extract bitterness, while you will be making the filling. Before placing the filling in the eggplants, rinse them with running water, to remove excess saltiness.
3. Chop your vegetables for the filling (carrots, onion, zucchini and eggplant pulp)
4. Preheat the pan to a medium heat, pour some vegetable oil ( I used sunflower oil )
5. When the pan is hot add chopped carrots and onion, cover the pan with a lid and saute for about a minute
6. Pour all the spices and mashed garlic cloves on the oil. If vegetables has soaked all the oil, add 1 tbsp more and pour your spices right there, mix all together and then mix with vegetables. I don't know my proportions right now, because I always cook with my heart, just smell it, if you like the smell, you will like the taste too. :)
7. Add eggplant and zucchini cubes, pour a little bit water, add black pepper and cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes. After couple of minutes remove black pepper from a pan.
8. Add tomato sauce and mayonnaise, mix everything. You can also add a little bit of dried basil
9. Put washed eggplant "boats" into a baking tray. Pour some water in it, so the eggplant will absorb it and become soft. Make sure to pour water again if eggplants absorbs all of it.
10. Add the filling into eggplant boats. On the top add some chopped tomatoes and sprinkle with basil
11. Bake for 30 minutes on 350º F (180 ºC) degrees

Rice

1. Pour water into the pot, bring to a boil. Add the cinnamon stick, turmeric and salt {take out the cinnamon stick after 5 minutes}
2. Wash rice with water
3. When the water comes to a boil add the washed rice. Cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes. 

Sauce

1. Preheat a small pan on a medium heat. Add vegetable oil
2. Add all your spices and mashed garlic cloves, cook for 15 seconds.
3. Add tomato paste or tomato sauce, pour a little bit of water {pour water to the consistency you want}. Cook for few minutes.

This little man loves vegan food! Especially when he has seen all the process of how it was prepared, he gets really excited to help me out and to try what we have made. :)

He just loves this "big eggplant sandwich" as he called it :)

Enjoy your eggplant dinner with your family and stay tuned for eggplant tortilla recipe!
xo, Victoria