Curries have been a staple in my household. I love Thai, Carribean, and Indian curries. I am definitely currazy! If you haven’t checked out my other recipes including curry of some sort do so now. Click any of these previous post, Thai Green Chickpea Curry. Vegan Thai Lemongrass Coconut Curry Soup, Lentil Rice Curry, Curried Eggplant, Squash, & Chickpea Mixer , Coconut Curry Tofu, Shrimp Curry, Hurry! It’s Curry !!!!, Spicy Curried Salmon Cakes, and go figure I didn’t realize I had one titled Cuuurrrazy!!!. Yep, this confirms curries have been a staple meal for us, lol.

Eggplant has always been a favorite of mine. Sadly, the cute little emoji for it continues to be abused, lol. If you didn’t laugh, sorry. Anyway, I love eggplant but definitely don’t always want it paired with spaghetti. We often see eggplant loaded with pasta sauce and cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I love eggplant parmesan, but I also love being creative and flipping dishes that typically would include meat and even seafood with vegetables instead. This dish was really delicious and flavorful. I paired it with forbidden rice also known as black rice. I had been looking for it and ofcourse I had to go to Whole Foods to get it. Black rice is the most nutritional rice there is which to me makes since why it is the most caloric.

Here are some facts from Dr. Axe. Despite being less popular than brown rice or wild rice, black rice, known as forbidden rice, is an ancient grain that has even more impressive health benefits than most other closely related rice varieties. Not only is it the type of rice that is richest in powerful disease-fighting antioxidants, but it also contains dietary fiber, anti-inflammatory properties, and has the ability to help stop the development of diabetes, cancer, heart disease and even weight gain.

One serving of black or forbidden rice contains only around 160 calories, but offers a very high amount of flavanoid phytonutrients, a good source of important fiber, substantial mineral content including iron and copper, and even a good source of plant based protein. Just the outside hull of the grain has one of the highest levels of anthocyanin antioxidants of any food! Black rice contains the highest amount of antioxidants, protein and dietary fiber of all rices varieties; plus black rice is also a good source of iron, which can be hard to get for plant based eaters like myself who rely on grains and legumes for protein.

Wondering how black rice compares to other rice varieties? Here’s how the different types of rice differ in terms of nutrient content when compared to 100g serving of each kind:

• Polished white rice – contains 6.8 protein, 1.2 iron, 0.6 fiber.
• Brown rice: 7.9 protein, 2.2 iron, and 2.8 fiber.
• Red rice: 7.0 protein, 5.5 iron, and 2.0 fiber.
• Black rice: 8.5 protein, 3.5 iron, 4.9 fiber, and the highest amount of antioxidants of any rice variety.

Here’s to the recipe: 

Ingredients: 

• 2 eggplants, chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil or coconut oil, divided
• 2 tbs garlic, minced, divided
• 1 tbs ginger, minced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup filtered water
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 tbs coriander
• 1 tbs turmeric
• 1 tbs garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Cayenne pepper, season to taste
• Sea Salt, season to taste
• Black pepper, season to taste

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Toss eggplant with olive oil, minced garic, and sea salt and spread out on baking sheet. Bake until browned, 20-25 minutes.
3. Heat oil in large skillet or dutch oven. Add onion, ginger, and garlic and cook until tender, 5-6 minutes. 
4. Remove eggplant from oven and add to skillet or dutch oven. Stir in spices, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Cover and Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
   

   

   

   
5. Serve with forbidden rice. Enjoy!!!