08 Mar Spicy and Hearty Eggplant Veggie Stew

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Spring is in the air, and we are in the mood of cooking a light veggie dish for dinner. Also, we are very excited to present our very first recipe cooked in a pressure cooker. We’ve been in love with this device for a while and used it for many dishes, but somehow we have never had a chance to post any of them. It’s time to change that and share this beautiful spring Spicy Eggplant Stew.

This dish is similar to Italian Caponata but a bit spicier. We added a few Thai chili peppers to give it a spice kick and an interesting note. To make the stew even more flavorful, stir in a tablespoon of quality red wine vinegar. You’ll be surprised how this small touch will brighten the taste. We recommend using Japanese eggplant because they have much thinner skin and don’t have a bitter flavor. That’s why the stew gets its lovely texture; the stew will be perfect over quinoa or couscous.

NOTE: If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can use a Dutch oven. The result will be divine, as well. Just don’t forget to increase the cooking time slightly.

Spicy Eggplant Stew

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Ingredients

  

• olive oil – 1/4 cup
• garlic – 2 cloves minced
• Japanese or regular eggplants – 2 cut into large chunks
• big yellow onion – 1 roughly chopped
• chili pepper – 1 medium or a few small Thai chilis, cut lengthwise
• fresh basil – 8-10 big leaves
• capers – 2 tablespoons
• olives – 10-12
• ripe fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped
• tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
• red wine vinegar – 1 tablespoon
• sugar 1 teaspoon or to taste
• salt – 1 teaspoon or to taste
• chopped parsley – 3 tablespoons for serving

Instructions

 

• Turn the Instant Pot to the saute setting.
• Heat the olive oil, then add minced and chili. Fry for 30 seconds.
• Then add the eggplant and onion. Sauté for 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the chopped parsley. Stir well.
• Cover with the lid, and pressure cook on High setting for 20 minutes.
• After the cooking time is up, you can let the pressure release naturally or use the quick release.
• Serve with warm naan or pita bread. Garnish the stew with the chopped parsley.