However, there is one rice dish that shines amongst the greats: the Turkish Aubergine Rice. A colorful yet dark dish where the fluffiness of the rice is of the utmost importance. If you skip the yogurt topping, you’ll notice that this vegan dish smells like a spicy, exotic perfume.
That’s because the Eggplant Rice is seasoned with the kind of spices that’ll have you wax lyrical to all your friends.
- Cut the eggplants into large cubes, leaving the skin on. Place in a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry with paper towels.
- Heat 60 ml of the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and fry the eggplant in batches until lightly browned. Remove to a plate.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and gently fry the onion until translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, herbs and fried eggplant. Bring to the boil.
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and place on top of the eggplant mixture. Pour in the stock or water, then bring to the boil without stirring.
- Reduce the heat, cover and leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, place a cloth or two paper towels over the rim of the pan and fit the lid on tightly. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
- Stir gently and turn into a heated dish. Serve with yoghurt.
Hünkar Beğendi
