Roasted brinjal with long black pepper and cilantro dressing

I must admit I love eggplant; my brother will always pull my leg when we go out, and I want to order an eggplant dish, yet again. For me, it is the creamy texture of roasted eggplant, its gentle, earthy flavour, and how versatile it is.

This is a simple dish meant to play with the creaminess of roasted, rather than deep-fried, eggplant and to highlight the flavour of the long black peppercorns. The earthiness of the peppers is bold, it does begin to numb your tongue, nd the cilantro adds a freshness to the dressing. The hint of cumin rounds out the flavour profile; it structurally brings the dish together.

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Ingredients:

For the roasted brinjal:

6 long Japanese purple eggplants or 4 long green eggplants

Olive oil, or other neutral oil

Salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground long black pepper

For the sauce:

1/2 cup yoghurt

Salt, to taste

3/4 teaspoon ground long black pepper

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1 cup cilantro leaves only

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted

Method:

Heat the oven to 375°F.

Cut the brinjals in half longitudinally and smear with oil. Sprinkle with salt and the ground long black pepper. Line them on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until the brinjals are very soft and charred in spots. Remove and set aside 

While the brinjals are roasting, make the sauce. Add all the ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce for pepper and salt; it should have a lovely spiced kick. Set aside. 

Add the cumin seeds to a mortar and lightly pound them to get a coarse powder. Set aside. 

Once the brinjals are ready, line them decoratively on a flat serving platter. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the sauce over the hot brinjals. Garnish with the crushed cumin seeds. Serve immediately, while still warm.