These eggplant stacks are a healthier and easier version of Begun Bhaja(eggplant/Aubergine fry). For Begun bhaja, slices of eggplant are marinated in spices of choice, usually turmeric and chili powder, with variations like garam masala, dried mango powder and more. The marinated eggplant slices can be directly deep/shallow fried, or coated in flour(semolina or rice) for a crunch, and then fried. Yumm, because the eggplants pick up a lot of oil 
These chili stacks are eggplant slices, brushed lightly with oil and roasted on stove top. Once cooked to preference, I sprinkle salt, fresh red chili powder and black salt/kala namak. Stack them, sprinkle more red chili powder and serve. Easy snack or side.
On my hand made plate, hence the not symmetrical plate plane:)
Hubbs looked at them the other day, and decided to make eggplant crostinis. He topped them with some herbed wild rice and lemon juice. He comes up with the wildest combinations.. but this worked perfectly!
Other Eggplant dishes to try. Baingan bharta- Roasted Mashed spiced large eggplant, Ringad Bataka nu shaak – Eggplant and potatoes with spices and nuts.
And you know what I discovered recently! This amazing 3 buck life saver! the RC6 wireless shutter release (remote control) for my camera. Why doesnt anyone mention getting a remote control for food photography? It makes life so much simpler without any shakes in the pictures. Even with a good tripod, I dont have an uncarpetted space to put the tripod, leading to the inevitable shake. The remote control, takes all the button pressing shake error away! I think a remote device is a Must have for budding food photogs:)
Give me more chili powder.
Chili Eggplant Stacks
Vegan gluten-free allergen-free recipe
Serves 1, Cook time 15-18 minutes
Ingredients:
1 long large Eggplant(japanese or any long type variety)
1 Tablespoon oil(mustard, olive or organic canola)
salt to taste
red chili powder/cayenne to taste
kala namak/black salt to taste(optional)
Method:
Slice the eggplant into 1/8-1/4 inch thick slices.
Heat a large pan or 2 large pans on stove top on medium heat.
Brush both sides of each slice with oil and place on heated pan.
Cook on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes each side or to preference.
Sprinkle salt, chili powder to taste, Sprinkle black salt lightly(optional).
Stack the eggplants and sprinkle liberally with chili powder.
Serve hot with Cilantro chutney or other chutney or dips of choice.
For variations: Use other spice blends like garam masala, cajun spice, or dried herb blends, parsley, thyme, rosemary and top it with some vean mozarella shreds before serving.
This stack is being shared at Ricki’s wellness weekend, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Slightly indulgent Tuesdays, Hearth and soul blog hop, Allergy friendly wednesdays,
And now for the Giveaway! The blog’s Facebook page crossed 4000 fans! awesomeness! Thank you all for the constant support!
To celebrate, VegNews is kindly giving away One year Vegnews Magazine’s subscription to one reader:)
This is open to International readers as well since the subscription is digital.
To Enter: the giveaway is now over!
- Follow me on Facebook , Or sign up for my E-mail feed to get the recipes in your inbox, and leave me a comment on the post about how you like your eggplants (leave me a contact email if you are not a blogger). Ends Sept 18 midnight PST.
If you already have a subscription, you can enter to win for a gift to someone:)
I love aubergine in moussaka – sooo good
i love your eggplant stacks, richa! i overdosed on eggplant about two years ago and haven’t had it since, but i need to bring it back into my life.
and, fyi- i follow you on facebook
like a stalker <3
i go through a want eggplant this week and not want the other:) its just one of those veggies:)
I’m really not a huge fan of eggplant but those pictures make me want to change my mind! I follow you on FB
Thanks Barb:) you should give these a go!
This look so gooooodddddd !!.. I totally took my toungue off !
Hey , please try and participate in my new event
Cook with-Poppy Seeds
Thanks Nupur. Sure will try to whip up something with poppy seeds:)
What pretty eggplant slices! My favorite way to enjoy eggplant is in baba ganoush. I love the smoky creaminess of it!
I havent made baba ganoush at home yet.. time to change that!
Oh my goodness, I have got to try this!
Thank you for sharing. =)
Christian, you won the vegnews subscription, please email me your preferred email id at richahingle (at) gmail (dot) com thanks:)
These are beautiful! Would love to try some of your eggplant. Congratulations on all the followers (which includes me of course)! I wish you tons of continued success!
Thank you Melissa!
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Awesome recipe!! I will definitely give a try
Thanks Teena
my fav aubergine dish anytime anyday. i make them so often. i liked the way you have roasted them in the pan instead of frying them in oil.
i do know about the wireless shutter, but never tried. well after seeing you write on it, i may as well buy it soon.
i would love to participate in this giveaway. i am following you on fb as well as subscribed to your email feed.
lastly congrats on the fb likes… wish you many more and more
I just ordered the wireless remote…thanks for the suggestion.
This looks like a delicious way to eat eggplant. I can’t wait to try it.
My favorite way to enjoy eggplant is “Eggplant Caponata” a Sicilian Favorite in my family. It’s made by combining cooked eggplant with capers, olives, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, onions and it taste delicious right off a spoon or with some chewy italian bread.
I’m already signed up by email
And I’m not a huge eggplant fan, but I love my eggplant tahini soup 
I’m signed up for your emails. I like eggplant breaded and baked with tomato sauce. dumbsnowflake@yahoo.com
This looks such a tasty dish and your pictures are awesome! I actually like my egg plants roasted or fried – I don’t like them in dishes like moussaka for example so this is just a perfect recipe and easy to make too, love it!
BTW I already follow you by email and on FB!
Congrats on all your followers x
Wow, this sounds delicious! I just went raw, so I have been experimenting with eggplant in the dehydrator, making eggplant crisps that are incredibly delicious in dips! It sounds like I could spice them up and make a raw rendition of this recipe as well : )
I get your emails. I love eggplant and don’t understand why not everyone does. One friend doesn’t like the texture. Baba Ghanoush has a very different texture than roasted.
i like you on fb and i love VEGAN eggplant lasagna with nutritional yeast
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
Eggplants in escabeche!!
I love eggplant parmesan… but it has cheese, so I don’t have it often. hyperactive0gal@gmail.com Thanks for the giveaway!
I love eggplant every way, but my favorite recently was glazed with a sweet miso paste. Yum. I’m going to try these spicy ones soon.
kjfinnegan0302 (at) gmail.com
Beautiful appetizer!! and you are right about the remote. Mine broke and I am having trouble balancing it all with my shaky hands
I already subscribe to your e-mail feed!
Eggplants are one of the best vegetables in the world. They add a nice meatiness to all dishes and absorb all the flavours. I stick them in curries (Thai, Malay, Indian (of course!)), on pizzas, lightly dressed in balsamic vinegar and grilled, in moussakas, lasagnas, soups, stews, chilis, stir-fry’s, stuffed … to pick just one favourite is close to impossible!
If I had to pick, I would say my favourite use of eggplant is in a spicy tomato-based curry, based off of your temeph tikka masala recipe and baingan bharta: with a curry sauce made of pureed chilis, onions, and roasted tomatoes, and veggie stir-ins of eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper, and a tempering similar to both the tikka masala and baingan bharta. Yum!
My entire family is Bengali and the best time of year is always when my grandmothers are both visiting and we have begun bhaja sometimes twice a week. It’s amazing to see how different families from the same region have such varying “secret family recipes”. Dad’s mom spices it, mother’s mom just does it plain with some whole spices in the batter. It is definitely my favourite way to eat eggplant and that’s saying something because I love eggplant. (btw, I followed you on Facebook)
LOVE eggplant or aubergine as we call it here in Blighty! I had it baked with a sesame, miso sauce the other day. HEAVEN! BTW, your pics are so good. I love the vibrant flecks of chill powder against the rustic black dish. x
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe…eggplants here I come!
…and for the wireless shutter release tip! I so very much need this.
Cheers!
Chris doesn’t care for eggplant, so I haven’t cooked with it in ages. Back in the day, however, I was all about the baba ganoush! Your recipe looks pretty amazing- might even be able to change Chris’s mind!
I already subscribe and follow you on FB.
I love my eggplants roasted or fried! I even love the smell of eggplants roasting in an open fire (I use my stove). I’ll try your recipe tonight. I got some black salt I’m excited to use it with. Btw, nice remote control! Did you buy it on amazon? Was there a deal?
This was perfect timing. My friend just asked for an eggplant recipe so I sent him this. He loved it
Candice W
I like it sliced, brushed with soy sauce, sprinkled with chili powder and fried. Yum!
This sounds great! I use to love breaded eggplant, but now I am a fan of roasting. I love the eggplant rollatini recipe from vegnew’s recipe club. They sent it out in an email last month and I have made it twice subing quinoa for millet.
Richa, This looks so great.. I am big fan of roasted vegetables
Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
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I like to gently roast my eggplant slices and use them as a base for sloppy joe’s (using lentils in place of meat) instead of bread
I love eggplant the way my Spanish grandma made them: breaded and fried in olive oil. But I also like eggplant in the Spanish dish ‘pisto’, a kind of stew with peppers, tomatoes and zucchini.
aha! now i know what to do with the plump eggplant sitting in my fridge: chili stacks it is!
congrats on the benchmark 4000 fb followers my dear – i’m very happy to count myself as one of them
Never enough recipes for eggplants for me and this is a new one to add to my stack!
I like my eggplant stir fried with tomatoes and turmeric, and also in ‘bacon’ form (thinly sliced lengthwise and baked/microwaved with liquid aminos, liquid smoke, and pepper).
I like my eggplant stuffed with quinoa, black beans, green onion, tomatoes, corn and hot sauce!
I love eggplant cooked down to a mushy consistency, preferably in a curry. Followed your blog with a different email address than this one… but I’m following
I can’t wait to try these! I’m always looking for new ways to make eggplant! I just followed you by email.
What a perfect timing for this post! I made an unsuccessful attempt at eggplant kebabs today. Hubby tried them at some restaurant, but I couldn’t replicate. I will try yours! They look so good!
Eggplant is such a versatile vegetable. I like them slightly fried dusted with salt and chat masala and stuffed eggplants. Yum. Love the giveaway. *fingers crossed*
Siri
This is a really pretty dish, Richa! I actually have a couple of eggplants I need to use up this week, so I will definitely try this out. Gorgeous photos!
Thanks to share such nice information.
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What a great giveaway! I was planning on doing the same one for my 6 month blog-iversary! I love baba ganoush and since I’m married to an Egyptian he knows all the secrets to make it perfect!
Yay! contragulations on your 6 month blogoversary Sarah!:) i need to check out some of your egyptian recipes!
Beautiful photos Richa! Did you make that plate, because I am so in love with it if you did, I need to get back into pottery
Hubbs is brilliant, tell him thank you for the eggplant crostinin idea – I am so making that with your eggplants for dinner this week!!!
Now this brings nostalgia!! The bongs love their begun bhaja, except we do it only with turmeric and salt and cooked in msutard oil.. that’s it. I made some today from the eggplants from my yard.
This looks so good! I’ve been wanting to make eggplant and now I know exactly what I’m going to make…this! Thanks for always posting such amazing delicious recipes!
Hello! Can I use the indian eggpant/baigan instead?
yes you can use any eggplant
I absolutely love eggplant in all forms. I think one of my favorite ways is roasted eggplant sliced into thick, juicy chunks and then tossed in a miso ginger glaze. So much flavor, its delicious!