Eggplant with Spicy Potatoes

When Andrew and I had started dating, I remember the first time I looked at the books on his bookshelves.  In his small room, he had somehow managed to fit three huge bookshelves, and they were completely full.  You can tell a lot about a person by what they read.  One book that impressed me was, of course, a cookbook, called Healthy Vegetarian Cooking.  Over the years we've cooked a few recipes from this volume.  I also read it a lot --  I treat cookbooks like novels, and love to get ideas from them.  I usually have a hard time following a recipe exactly -- I love modifying and playing around with flavors and foods to see what I can create.

The other day, Andrew left this same book open in our kitchen to page 62, which had a tasty looking recipe on it for Eggplant with Spicy Potatoes.  We had most of the ingredients on hand, and with a few modifications, I made this dish last night, just as the snow was beginning to pile up.

Besides being super satisfying, this meal is packed with health benefits. Eggplants are awesome because they reduce cholesterol, prevent cancer, and have lots of dietary fiber.  Potatoes sometimes get a bad name for being so startchy, but they're a great source of vitamin B-6, and reduce blood pressure.  My potatoes are local ones, which makes them healthier for me and the environment, since they didn't have to travel far to get to my plate.  Red lentils are becoming one of my favorite foods lately, and I eat them right up because of all the iron and protein they contain.  I also just found out they have antioxidants, which is even more reason to love this legume.  Makes getting seconds seem like a good thing to do for your body, right?

Eggplant with Spicy Potatoes and Lentils

modified from Janet Swarbrick's Healthy Vegetarian Cooking

• 2 cups red lentils 
• 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 medium sized potatoes, sliced the same size as the eggplant
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 sliced onion
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger root
• 1 tablespoon grated turmeric root (or turmeric powder)
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup sliced green or red pepper
• 1 diced tomato

Start off by rinsing your lentils and putting them on medium heat in a large sauce pan with 4 cups of water. Cover it with a lid, and check on things every once in a while while you're making the eggplant and potato dish.  Add spices that you want in the lentils when you're adding them to the eggplant dish.  Easy, right?

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion until it turns a light brown.  Add the cumin and mustard seeds, stirring for a minute or so, and then add the ginger and turmeric root.  Add a splash of water if necessary so that things don't burn.  After 2 minutes, add the eggplant and pepper slices.  Add 2/3 cup of water, and lower the heat to medium low.  After about 15 minutes, add the potato and tomato, and let things cook for another 15 minutes.  (don't forget to check on your lentils!)  Stir everything together, add salt to taste, and make sure all of your potatoes are done before serving. We topped our luscious red lentils with the vegetables, and it was delicious.  Serves 2 super hungry people.

Wine optional.
I hope you're enjoying your Wednesday -- we're literally snowed in here, and I'm starting to think about making something warm for dinner.