New Plant-Based Cookbook 'Dada Eats Love To Cook It' - a podcast by WNYC

from 2021-07-13T10:46:29

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Samah Dada, recipe developer and founder of the blog Dada Eats, joins us to discuss her new cookbook Dada Eats Love to Cook It: 100 Plant-Based Recipes for Everyone at Your Table. The book features recipes for over 100 meals and treats with "an accidentally plant-based energy" as well as new takes on dishes inspired by her Indian heritage.

RECIPE

Miso-Tahini-Glazed Roasted Eggplant with Farro

Serves 2-4

You would think that I have a strict must-love-eggplant policy with my friends, but I do actually have regard for other people’s feelings and taste buds. Though I have encountered a lot of people in my life who have a very ambivalent, bordering on negative, view of eggplant. I’ve vowed to change that.

This recipe is one of my methods for changing minds about eggplant. I roast the eggplant with olive oil so that it becomes soft and tender, which makes for a nice contrast to the farro, a grain I love for its nutty taste and chewy texture. What pulls everything together is the miso-tahini glaze, which is punchy, acidic, sweet, and savory in all the right places. Let’s just say that I have a pretty good track record of eggplant converts after they try this one.

Roasted Eggplant

1 medium eggplant, cubed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Miso-Tahini Glaze

3 tablespoons white miso paste

3 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon coconut aminos

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Farro

½ cup farro (see Note)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish

To Finish

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice for serving (optional)

Roast the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the cubed eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet and toss it with the olive oil to coat. Spread the eggplant out in a single layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing it halfway through, until the cubes are tender and charring.

While the eggplant is roasting, make the Miso-Tahini Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, tahini, rice vinegar, coconut aminos, coconut sugar, and sesame oil. Then, to prevent the mixture from seizing, gradually whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water, tablespoon by tablespoon, stirring after each addition, until the glaze thins and becomes nice and smooth.

Cook the farro according to the instructions on the package. After the farro is cooked, transfer it to a large bowl and season it with salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley.

Transfer the roasted eggplant to a medium bowl. Reserving 3 tablespoons of the glaze, add the rest to the roasted eggplant, tossing the cubes in the glaze until they are fully coated. Mix the 3 tablespoons of reserved glaze into the farro, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sesame seeds and toast them, stirring frequently until they are fragrant and browning slightly, 3 to 5 minutes.

Divide the farro among individual plates and place the eggplant cubes on top. Season with salt and garnish with parsley and the toasted sesame seeds. Finish with a squeeze of lemon, if desired.

A NOTE ON FARRO: The cooking time depends on what type of farro you buy. Typically, the options are whole farro (cooks in 35 to 40 minutes), semi-pearled farro (25 to 30 minutes), or pearled farro (15 to 20 minutes). Pearled farro has no husk and most of the bran is removed, so it cooks the fastest.

Published by Rodale Books, and imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.

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