Bananas with Eggplants
Picking my own fresh fruits and vegetables from the garden is, for me, one of the most rewarding things about living in Ecuador. Every day, something from the garden comes into the kitchen. In this dish, the eggplants, tomatoes, plantain bananas and herbs were grown in-house.
This wonderful combination of fruits and vegetables is 100% organic from seed to harvest, which contributes to their rich flavors and wonderful textures. Whenever there are eggplants ready to harvest, my immediate thought is “Turkish food, yay!” but this time, I veered further away than usual from the traditional recipe and added ripe plantains (maduros) which lend a whole new texture and flavor to the delicious dish.
Bananas with Eggplants Recipe:
2 tbsp herbed olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 ripe plantain bananas, diced
3 medium eggplants, salted, washed and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp wild cilantro, chopped
Saute the onion, garlic and plantain in the olive oil until it is beginning to brown. Add the diced eggplants and stir fry for several minutes until the eggplants just begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes before adding the stock. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the eggplants are cooked through.
Toss in sesame seeds and cilantro and stir through. Serve hot.
Buen Provecho!
If you’re interested in cooking with me, and learning more about traditional and fusion foods, get in touch!
Going Bananas 