Eggplant with Crispy Mallow Peas
A flexible side for your tiny backyard okra.
Roasted mallow peas taste like tiny okra and have a crispy lentil texture. This recipe pairs their delightfully crisp-crunchiness with roasted eggplant and creamy avocado. Serve this as a tender side to a protein, heap over fresh greens, or mix into cooked farro.
“look at how roasty-toasty these look!” -Alexis Nikole
Ingredients*
1/2 cup mallow peas or cooked lentils
1 large eggplant*
Olive oil
1 small avocado
Fresh herbs, such as basil or dill
Salt, to taste
Spice powder, such as harissa or chaat masala [optional]
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375° and prepare two parchment-lined baking sheets.
Toss the mallow peas (or cooked lentils) in neutral oil and salt to taste, then spread on one of the sheets. Cut the eggplant into 1/4” sices, toss in a neutral oil and salt, then arrange on the second baking sheet.
Roast the peas and eggplant simultaneously at 375°. Remove the peas when some have turned golden brown and all the calyxes have started to crisp, about 10 min. Continue roasting the eggplant until tender throughout and crisped on the bottom of each slice, about 15-20 min.
Slice the avocado and layer on a plate with the roasted eggplant slices. Drizzle with olive oil and spices or salt to taste. Shower with the roasted mallow peas and finish with fresh herbs.
Serve as a tender side to a protein, heap over fresh greens, or mix into cooked farro.
Recipe Notes
American, Italian, and Japanese eggplant varieties will all work here (as will fairytale and other heirloom varieties). Some people get finicky about eggplant texture, so here’s a tip for success: the point of this recipe is to have something creamy and earthy for the crispy mallow seeds to contrast and shine. If you prefer to mash your eggplant or fry the whole thing to get crispy edges, go for it! Just make sure there is something delightful and tender on the plate.
What do you think of this recipe? I want to hear if you made it, if you didn’t, or if it inspired you to try something else!