fourservingsWhen I think of Roasted Eggplant Stew (aka Garden Egg Stew), I think of one of the bonding moments with my family. This meal was served in a large plate alongside boiled yams and plantains and all we did was sit around the plate in a circle and dig in with our hands. While eating, we shared stories and connected with each other even more.
‘One that eats alone, cannot discuss the taste of food with others’
An African Proverb
Why Roasted Eggplants?
This hands off approach of roasting eggplants on a grill does not only add the depth of flavour to the dish, it is also very healthy. I took this recipe a step further by roasting all the other veggies required in cooking this meal. While you may want to opt for the oven option, I would recommend using a grill simply because, you can get the smoke flavour throughout the eggplants and the other vegetables.
Another crucial part of this recipe is peeling the Eggplants; They need to be peeled while hot because, the skin pulls away from the flesh easily.
Grains of Selim/ Poivres des Wolofs :
These are seeds of a shrubby tree found in some parts of Africa. The seeds are musky in flavour and can be used as a spice similar to black pepper or white pepper. In Cameroon, it is one of the main ingredients in a popular dish called- Achu soup. In Senegal, it is used as a flavouring agent in coffee. It is called different names in different parts of Africa – Kieng, Kimba pepper, African pepper, Moor pepper, Negro pepper, Kani pepper, Kili pepper, Sénégal pepper, Ethiopian pepper and Guinea pepper.
There are many websites selling grains of selim including amazon.
Watch detailed recipe video here:
Roasted Eggplant Stew
Ingredients
- 3 medium eggplants
- 4 large tomatoes
- 1 large onion
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 habanero pepper
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ cup palm oil
- 1 mini seasoning cube
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp grains of selim
Instructions
- Cut each tomato and onion in half. Add Jalapeno, habanero, wrap in foil paper and set aside.
- Using a sharp knife or a fork, poke holes throughout the eggplants. This is a very vital part of this recipe; it prevents the eggplant from exploding and making a huge mess.
- Place eggplants and wrapped tomatoes on a hot grill. Cover the grill to create smoke. After 10 minutes,open the grill , flip aubergines to cook the other side.
- Prepare Grains of Selim: While grilling the eggplants,toast grains of selim on medium heat. Let it cool, then place it in a mortar and pound to a dust. Pass through a fine sieve.
- Take the eggplanst and tomatoes out of the grill. While still hot, peel off the skin of the eggplants and cut off the tail ends. Use a potato mash to disintegrate the eggplants.
- Unwrap foil paper, transfer tomatoes, all its contents including garlic cloves into a food processor and blitz to a puree.
- Heat palm oil, add pureed tomatoes, When the liquid from the tomatoes reduces, add eggplants.
- Stir to incorporate. Add seasoning cube, white pepper, black pepper, vegetable broth, grains of selim and stir. Cook for another minute , add parsley and take off heat.
This is definitely one of those simple meals which take you down memory lane. Thanks for this
So true Veronica! This is one of those recipes that will always stay with us.
can I use the commonly found purple eggplant? green eggplant is hard to find diaspora ooo.
Will it keep the authentic taste if I use the purple type?
Hi Fule! I used the purple eggplant and it tasted just as good. Let me know how it turns out.