Simple ingredients call for simple preparations. I could have turned this beautiful Indian eggplant I found into so many wonderful dishes: ratatouille, vegetable chili, eggplant lasagna, pasta with roasted eggplant, etc., etc.
Instead, I wanted to keep this pretty vegetable pretty by just pan frying it. It’s the easiest thing in the world. Have this on the side with a protein or other vegetables, over rice, tossed with pasta, or (like I did) on homemade pizza.
Pan-Fried Indian Eggplant
1 1/2 lbs. Indian (or baby or Japanese) eggplant
1/4 cup oil (olive, sunflower, grapeseed)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add some of the eggplant (don’t crowd the pan). Cook, turning them over once, until browned on both sides. Transfer to paper towels.
Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding more oil to the pan as needed (eggplant soaks up oil quickly). Sprinkle the salt over the eggplant. Enjoy!