Grilled Eggplant Tacos

05 Aug Grilled Eggplant Tacos

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Indian food and Mexican food are cut from the same cloth. Both countries are near the equator, which sees a warm climate all year round, which means spicy food. There’s also a commonality in rice, beans/lentils, cumin, cilantro and more ingredients being a part of both cuisines. Growing up in Chicago, it’s often overlooked that Mexican food is a staple of the city. Every neighborhood has their own taqueria. I lived in Bucktown for close to a decade, and was a frequent visitor of Pasadita (three restaurants of the same name on the same intersection)… They unfortunately closed two of them recently… But also, Las Asadas on Western, Lagartija (for pureed avocado margaritas!) and the always classic, Taco Burrito Express #3. So you can say I love Mexican food just as much as I love home-cooked Indian food.

Make homemade guac and salsa

It’s always best to make your own guacamole and salsa, because it’s easy, it tastes fresh and it gives you a sense of accomplishment (especially in COVID world). You can also control the amount of each ingredient you add to determine how spicy you want it, or how much acidity you want to add. Everyone has a preference, so make it your own.. It tastes so much better.
For guac, it’s really easy, just chop up all your ingredients (red onion, cilantro, garlic, chili peppers, add your avocado, and you just mashed it all together. Then add salt and lime to keep breaking it down. The trick to keep it fresh and green is to retain one of your avocado seeds and add it to the storage bowl with your leftover guac. For the salsa, it helps if you have a food processor, but not necessary. Chop up onions, tomatoes (I used a mix of cherry tomatoes and yellow gold from my garden), chili peppers, salt, pepper, garlic, and cilantro.

Choose your tortillas wisely…

I’m not sure if there’s a debate between corn or flour tortillas, but there shouldn’t be. If you want a tasty authentic Mexican taco, you have to go with corn. Flour just seems like what you would get at Chili’s, a gas station food mart, or a Trump rally… The only time in my life that I’ve enjoyed a flour tortilla taco was at a food truck in Austin, Veracruz, where they roll out each tortilla made to order… It’s so damn good, but takes 2 hours. Otherwise, just get corn tortillas from the grocery store. They’re healthier for you.. Just look it up. I also love grilling them right on the stove top or in this case right on the grill to get charred marks.

Season your eggplant heavily and get them on the grill

Like Indian food, Mexican food requires a heavy hand when it comes to spices. It’s all about bold, loud, spicy flavors, so don’t be shy to shake on a lot of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Mix it all together and let is sit for a bit before transferring it to the grill (I waited 30 min). Once there, cook for a few minutes per side. I love cooked eggplant because it’s got a very satisfying, savory taste that really replaces the need for meat… sometimes… Also, I will always judge an Italian restaurant based on how good their eggplant parm is… It’s such a versatile and hearty vegetable that works in so many different cuisines.

Taco assembly

The beauty of homemade tacos is everyone can assemble them however they want. My preference is to go cheese right away after the hot protein so that there’s a little bit of melting happening. Then hot sauce, salsa, guac, and I prefer shredded spinach to finish it off. But feel free to use whatever greens you have.

Recipe

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:
– 1/2 large eggplant, sliced into strips (not too small as you’re grilling them)
– Corn tortillas (4-5 per person)
– Tomatoes (I used mostly yellow gold and cherry tomatoes but use what you have)
– 4 Thai chili peppers
– Shredded taco blend cheese (or exclude if you want to keep it vegan)
– 1/2 of a large onion (I used red)
– 2 avocados
– Chopped spinach
– 6 cloves of garlic (split between salsa and guac)
– Garlic Powder
– Cumin
– Paprika
– Chili Powder
– Cilantro
– Lime
– Salt

1. Make your homemade guac and salsa and keep to the side. (Look above for simple recipe.)
2. Slice your eggplant so they’re in long strips with 1-2 going in each taco. (But slice them large enough so they don’t fall through the grill.)
3. Season your eggplant slices with cumin, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt
4. Spray oil on both sides of tortillas and put them directly on grill or directly on your stove top to get char/grill marks.
5. Grill eggplant slices or cook in cast iron skillet. A few minutes per side will be enough.
6. Assemble tacos. Add eggplant slice, then shredded cheese to get a little melting action. then some hot sauce like tapatio, cholula.. or Aardvark habanero.. then your homemade salsa, a dollop of guac, and some shredded spinach. Enjoy!