Spicy Indian Eggplant

Oh the glorious crap!

I called the local dairy farm to see if they have cow manure for sale for our garden. They do. 5 bucks for 3/4 yard bucket. That is a whole lot of crap. About three large wheelbarrows full.

My husband Jared and my dad when to pick up the load. Despite it being fermented manure, our yard exudes farm smell. I don't mind it much. Jared feels nostalgic of his grandfather's farm. I think my neighbors have been giving us dirty looks.

Yoshi thought all this playing outside was great.

Yoshi thanking my dad for helping with the garden.

Nonetheless, I am excited to get my garden going. I have my seedlings started and most are looking good. I even planted butternut squash seeds I saved from winter cooking that have sprouted and are looking healthy.  I also have zucchini, sweet basil, dark basil, lots of cherry tomatoes, carrots, green beans, green peppers, jalapeno peppers and of course, my favorite, eggplant.

We love eggplant. It is so versatile and can be incorporated into many dishes. This meal is so easy and requires no salting or roasting to remove bitter juices. Enjoy!

Spicy Indian Eggplant
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
one eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
one medium onion, diced
three garlic cloves, minced
one tsp minced ginger
one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
one heaping tbsp of tikka paste
plain yogurt (optional, but not in my house)
cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:
Heat oil. Saute eggplant, onions, garlic and ginger, stirring frequently until softened. Add can of tomatoes and tikka paste and stir. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over rice or couscous. Add a dollop of plain yogurt and some cilantro leaves.