On our plate this Meatless Monday: our Indian twist on the classically Sicilian caponata. In its most traditional form, caponata is an eggplant-based, cooked vegetable salad with a sweet and sour flavor profile. It’s most often served atop bread as a bruschetta-like appetizer.

In our Indian interpretation, the caponata is a vegetable-dense main course with a slightly sweet and intensely spicy punch. As fiends for all things spicy, all year round, this served-room-temperature dish is one of the only ways we can get a fiery fix during the summer without breaking into a “Man Versus Food”–nature sweat. The runny egg, when mixed into the caponata (don’t neglect this step if you have any respect for your taste buds), lends a rich creaminess that also counterbalances the hits of cayenne.

And, while we’re all for bold flavor and solid nutrition, simplicity is the key reason why this shows up on our plates time and again. Don’t let a few foreign ingredients fool you. This one-pot meal is one of the easiest Indian recipes you’ll ever come across: Sauté. Stir. Boil. Cool. Eat. And eat again. (The leftovers get more flavorful each day!)

Curried Eggplant Caponata

Serves 4 as a main course

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 yellow onions, chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp. curry powder
  • 1 tbsp. turmeric
  • 1 tbsp. cumin
  • 1-2 tsp. cayenne (this leaves the dish very spicy; reduce amount or omit for less heat)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups chopped eggplant, about 2 medium-large
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1.5 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (including liquid)
  • 2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
  • 4 eggs

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large crock pot, and sauté onion until translucent, about 5-7 minutes at medium-high heat.
  2. Add spices and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute
  3. Add remaining ingredients, except for eggs. Stir and bring to a boil.
  4. Cover and cook on medium heat for 45 minutes.
  5. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, and serve at room temperature.
  6. When ready to serve, top each portion with a runny egg. (To make: Simply cook an egg in a splash of olive oil until the whites are set but the yolk is runny. It helps if you put a lid on your pan, and take a peak every 30 seconds or so.)

Photo via Sarah Levy for Bari Apotheke