Name: Spicy Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Cilantro
Yield: Makes 6 side-dish servings
Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants (about 2 pounds 6 ounces total), halved lengthwise; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 2 large onions, coarsely chopped; 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger; 1 pound tomatoes, coarsely chopped; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

This upscale Indian restaurant is perched above the shops of Harvard Square. The restaurant's location draws an international crowd of students, professors, and tourists. Dark wood tables and chairs and classical Indian music give it a refined quality, but authenticity is the restaurant's main pursuit — the kitchen grinds its own spices and makes everything from scratch, down to the yogurt and cheese.

This traditional Indian dish is called baingan bharta. Serve it with naan or rice.

Recipe notes

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