Italy, Greece, China, various Middle Eastern countries and India boast of delectable platters of stuffed eggplant (baigan) in different forms. For lovers of this vegetable fruit, preparing it stuffed – with cheese, ground meat, ground seafood, masalas etc. is a favourite way to enjoy eggplants.
Whenever I am entertaining vegan or vegetarian-only guests, I go all out to ensure that what I make is different from what they may be accustomed to – ingredients, flavour profiles and cooking style – and that what I make is more than a salad. For me, the challenge is usually in coming up with the main dish or entrée, as I want it to be truly representative of a main dish. Not all vegetarians eat cheese so this South Indian-style Stuffed Eggplant is one of my star vegan-vegetarian dishes. When the guest list is mixed – meat and non-meat eaters,
