Skip to main content

Trini Stewed Eggplant

Image may contain Plant Food Produce and Vegetable
Photo and Food Styling by Sarah Jampel

“In my home country of Trinidad and Tobago, this garlicky eggplant dish, known colloquially as baigan or melongene, isn’t considered a recipe because all it requires is a low flame, a handful of garlic cloves, a generous dash of curry powder, and eggplant,” writes Brigid Washington. “The process of making this dish seethes with a simplicity that defines island life. Folded into the ease, however, are deep flavors rightfully attributed to the island’s vast and vibrant East Indian culture, from which this dish is believed to originate. If you can’t find Chief curry powder, madras curry powder is an acceptable substitute (although not an exact one).” Read more about the origins of the recipe here. Serve with Brigid's Citrusy Chicken Thighs, arugula, and brown rice for an easy summer meal.

What you’ll need

Read More
Silky Japanese eggplant and fiery serrano chile unite in this no-fuss frittata that’s brunch-ready, dinner-worthy, and wildly good.
Store-bought dumplings, fresh tomatoes, butter, and soy sauce simmer away for dinner in a flash.
Summer’s best produce cooked into one vibrant, silky, flavor-packed dish.
Braising canned chickpeas in chicken stock and olive oil makes them unbelievably tender and buttery. This is worth the effort of peeling 40 cloves of garlic.
A punchy vinaigrette of preserved lemon and hot chile animates seared zucchini. A simple solution for summer's most prolific vegetable.
A homemade black bean sauce is better than anything you can find in the grocery store. Plus, the 15-minute dinner you can make with it.
Scallion-infused oil, or pa gireum in Korean, is a fragrant way to upgrade a pot of rice.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken legs glossed in a sticky honey mustard glaze strike the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and delightfully savory.