A traditional Dominican side dish or main dish, berenjena asada (roasted eggplants) is a luscious, smoky, and decidedly grown-up dish. Popular with vegetarians, meat lovers enjoy it too. Check out how easy it is to make this humble and inexpensive dish, and serve it today.
Why we ❤️ it
An exciting combination of the smoky and natural spiciness of berenjena (eggplants or aubergines), and some of our preferred seasonings and spices, and the added protein from eggs, make this simple dish a winning combination.
Cooking with berenjena
Eggplants are a popular vegetable in Dominican cookery, a legacy of the Mediterranean influence in our cuisine. Berenjenas grow abundantly in our climate and are an inexpensive, accessible food.
Rich in Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and fiber, they are also low in carbohydrates, which makes them a great choice for those on low-carb diets and diabetics.
Berenjenas asadas (roasted eggplants).
Serving suggestions
You can serve this dish with arroz blanco (white rice) and habichuelas guisadas (beans), some tostones, and a few avocado slices to make it an even more complete meal. It also goes great with moro de habichuelas, or any moro rice.
Ensalada Dominicana de repollo (Dominican cabbage salad) and carrot and cabbage slaw are my favorite salads with this dish.
Besides the typical custom of serving it as a side or main dish, I also love it as an appetizer drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and spread on a piece of casabe (cassava bread) or toast—very filling, delicious, and light.
Top tips
- If you are vegan, make berenjena asada guisada by switching the eggs for a cup of tomato sauce. It's a very popular version too!
- You can easily roast berenjenas by placing them on a baking sheet and broiling them in the oven. Just keep an eye on them and turn them as necessary to char them all over.
- You can double the recipe and store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge to make meal prep easier for the rest of the week.
- I have found that if made with eggs, they do not freeze as well. It's best to store them in the freezer without the added eggs, thaw them, and cook them with the eggs to reheat them.
About this recipe
Berenjena asada was one of my mom's favorite dishes, and I have to say I wasn't a fan until I became an adult. Unsurprisingly, my kid only started eating berenjena until her late teens. So keep that in mind because I have met few kids who like eggplants.
There are two ways to make this dish, and a simple change to make both. My favorite way is with eggs, which you can see in the video, but the recipe gives you the choice to add tomato sauce instead to make berenjena asada guisada.
How do you prefer roasted eggplants? Let me know in the comments!
Video
Recipe
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Berenjena Asada [Recipe + Video] Roasted Eggplants
Ingredients
- 4 eggplant, (large)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 1 bell peppers, diced
- 4 plum tomatoes, diced
- 3 clove garlic, sliced
- 4 egg (medium), (or 1½ cups of tomato sauce for berenjena asada guisada)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper , (freshly-cracked, or ground), or to taste
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (or fresh parsley, optional)
Instructions
Roasting
Put the eggplants directly on the fire on your stove. When the side on the fire has blackened turn, and repeat until the whole eggplant has turned black.Right after removing from the heat, please in a bowl and cover with a lid. Let them rest until they have all cooled to room temperature.
Peeling
- Once cooled, remove and discard the peel. Cut the ends with a knife.
Mashing
- Using two forks, shred, and mash the eggplant. The final consistency is a matter of taste, so mash as much or as little as you like. Set aside.
Cooking
- Heat oil over low heat in a skillet or pan. Cook and stir the onions until they turn translucent. Add the bell pepper, tomatoes and garlic. Cook and stir for a minute. Add the eggplants, cover, and simmer until most of the liquid it releases has evaporated. Add the eggs, cook and stir until the eggs set. If you want to make berenjena guisada, add tomato sauce instead of eggs.
Seasoning
- Season with pepper and salt to taste. Add the cilantro or parsley and stir.
Serving
- Remove from the heat. Serve hot as a side dish, or as a main dish.
Tips and Notes
Berenjena asada guisada
If you are vegan, make berenjena asada guisada by switching the eggs for a cup of tomato sauce. It's a very popular version too!Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
More eggplant dishes
The sky’s the limit when it comes to the vast range of eggplant-based dishes. One of my favorite Dominican eggplant dishes is berenjena frita (fried eggplant slices). A very Dominican dish would be stewed aubergines with pork: few things surpass this for taste.
Eggplants go well with ripe plantains in a sweet plantain boat, a tropical savory bake. Life would not be complete without trying an eggplant lasagna, eggplant casserole, or eggplant roulade. Leave a little room for berenjena meatballs too.
If you're looking for more roasted eggplant recipes, you can also try a Mediterranean roasted eggplant and tahini sauce.
FAQs
Yes. Roast the eggplants with the skin on until the skin is charred and blackened.
Do you not need to add salt to the eggplants before roasting since they still have the skin.
