Eggplant Braised with Trahana
One of my favorite country dishes from western Crete, this recipe is definitely high up on the comfort scale. To find some of the artisinal Greek products you'll need to make this, visit my online shop here, where you'll discover a host of lovingly curated Greek ingredients.
RATING
SERVES
4
PREP TIME
5 min
COOK TIME
45 min
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil or more as needed
- 1 large onion coarsely chopped
- 3 Italian or Sicilian eggplants trimmed and cut into 1 ½-inch / 3 ¾-cm chunks or cubes
- 2 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes slightly smaller than the eggplant pieces
- 2/3 cup dry white wine
- 3 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
- 3 medium-sized tomatoes grated
- 1 cup Cretan xinohontros or sour trahana
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons each of chopped fresh parsley and mint
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the eggplant pieces and stir gently for two minutes. Add the potatoes and stir.
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Pour in the wine. As soon as it steams up, add the garlic cloves and grated tomatoes. Then, in the following order, season the contents of the pot: Sprinkle in salt, then add the thyme, parsley and mint. A Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are about halfway cooked.
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Add the xinohontros and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the xinohondros is tender. If the xinohondros needs to cook a bit longer, add an additional cup of water. Remove from heat, drizzle with additional olive oil, and serve.
