Eggplant and Potato Gratin

By Nik Sharma

Eggplant and Potato Gratin
Nik Sharma for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
1¼ hours
Rating
4(232)
Notes
Read community notes

In this side dish inspired by Indian flavors, slices of eggplant and potato sit over a bed of crushed tomatoes seasoned with garlic, cumin and nigella seeds. It’s a wonderful accompaniment to seafood, particularly roasted fish. To cut the cooking time, slice the vegetables even thinner, using a mandolin or food processor. Nigella seeds are sometimes erroneously labeled as black cumin, but they look and taste quite different. They have a triangular shape and a distinct black coat, and the flavor will remind some of alliums. There is no direct substitute, but, for the same texture — if not the same taste — you could use sesame seeds.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2Japanese eggplants (12 ounces total)
  • 1russet potato (about 14 ounces)
  • 2tablespoons melted ghee or oil, plus more for greasing the baking dish
  • 1teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1teaspoon nigella seeds
  • 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes, such as Aleppo
  • ½teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • 1(14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 4garlic cloves, peeled and grated
  • 2tablespoons bread crumbs
  • 2tablespoons grated Parmesan
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

243 calories; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 1143 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the eggplants ¼-inch thick, discarding the tops. Peel the potatoes or leave the skins on, and slice the potatoes ¼-inch thick. Place the eggplant and potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with the ghee. Toss with cumin, nigella, red-pepper flakes, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt.

  2. Step 2

    Lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch baking dish or similarly sized gratin dish with ghee, and place the gratin dish on a baking sheet.

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomatoes and garlic to the baking dish, season with salt and toss to combine. Arrange the eggplant and potato slices on top, alternating between the two vegetables.

  4. Step 4

    In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Sprinkle the mixture over the sliced vegetables.

  5. Step 5

    Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top turns golden brown. Let the dish cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
232 user ratings
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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

J

I took this in an Italian direction by omitting the nigella and cinnamon ghee. Instead I used olive oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder along with the cumin and pepper flakes. I used chopped tomatoes with Italian seasoning and topped it off with a generous portion of Panko bread crumbs and grated Parmesan. The result was delicious.

GretcheKnits

Nigella seeds are also called charnuska, and Penzey’s carries them. I bought them for another recipe a while ago, and I’m delighted to have another chance to use them!

mskdc

Made this exactly as written. Good flavors but the potatoes were not cooked well. Next time would parboil them.

Jessica

At least 2x baking time is needed for this dish if fully packed. I left the skins on eggplant and potatoes; suggest making eggplant layers 1.5-2x thicker than potato layers because they cook much faster. Yogurt or sour cream is a nice addition at the end.

Blue Jay

If you'd rather not buy nigella seeds, oregano has a similar flavor profile.

Gail

This is a no go for me. As others have noted the vegetables cook unevenly and crunchy potatoes are not appealing nor half cooked eggplant. I’m glad I did not invest in nigella seeds as I seriously doubt I will try again.

Tom Kulaga

This was surprisingly delicious. Not something I’d ordinarily make but I had some leftover eggplant and gave it a try. Didn’t have nigella or cumin seeds but garam masala in the kitchen cabinet gave it an Indian spin that, along with the cinnamon, gave it a most delectable taste.

buffy

After reading these notes, I parboiled my potato slices and warmed the tomato garlic mixture before assembling. I omitted the peppers. It turned out fine. We all liked it, but next time I would just use all eggplant. Nice flavors. I needed to use up some eggplant, and I had some nigella.

miriam

Added 2 merguez links, oiled cured black olives, left out the basil, and substituted couscous for pasta. Delicious!

DEH

sliced the potatoes thinner and use Italian seasonings as described by"J" below. Very good.

Emily Odza

My yukon potatoes came out superbly but globe eggplant cut 1/4 in fell apart. Cinnamon and cumin I had but missing the nigella and the ghee, subbed butter and olive oil, added some fresh tomatoes to the diced ones I had in a can. I baked it covered pretty long (maybe an hour!) while taking a walk and I used panko and parmesan and helped it out with the broiler at the last minute. I had never combined potato and eggplant before. Loved the crispy topping on the potatoes.

Alinda

Delicious! I’m glad to have found a great eggplant recipe that doesn’t require a lot of cheese. This is a great recipe and the herbs/spices can be changed pretty easily to lean Indian, Italian, or Mediterranean (add some kalamata olives!). It could stand as a main dish w/ some sausage added. Based on some of the notes, I baked it about 15 min longer covered, and an extra 10 min uncovered. Both vegetables came out w/ nice texture.

Denis

Nigella AKA kolongi are seeds of the chive plant and they impart a nice onion-like flavor. They are sometimes called black mustard seeds but they are not. This is delicious and made better by using asian sweet potato.

Haley

I sliced the potatoes super thin but they were still a bit crunchy when cooked according to the directions. It was a little too spicy but still not flavorful enough. I layered in paneer for some protein and that improved it slightly, but not enough for me to make again, I think.

Susan F

My husband loved the combo of eggplant and potatoes! I made this with an Italian (globe) eggplant which I did not peel. I used a 13 x 9 inch pan (and added another can of diced tomatoes) which helped spread out the ingredients. Less crowded that way. The suggested cooking time worked well for me.

ken in sf

Cut the potatoes thinner and still not cooked

Jane

Even though I doubled the spices it was still blah. Thank you to the commenters who recommended slicing the potatoes much more thinly!

Emily Odza

My yukon potatoes came out superbly but globe eggplant cut 1/4 in fell apart. Cinnamon and cumin I had but missing the nigella and the ghee, subbed butter and olive oil, added some fresh tomatoes to the diced ones I had in a can. I baked it covered pretty long (maybe an hour!) while taking a walk and I used panko and parmesan and helped it out with the broiler at the last minute. I had never combined potato and eggplant before. Loved the crispy topping on the potatoes.

Bernie

How would this be served cold? Anyone tried it?

Judyholt

Needs more than 2 tbsp Parmesan. Otherwise very nice, and easy.

DEH

sliced the potatoes thinner and use Italian seasonings as described by"J" below. Very good.

miriam

Added 2 merguez links, oiled cured black olives, left out the basil, and substituted couscous for pasta. Delicious!

buffy

After reading these notes, I parboiled my potato slices and warmed the tomato garlic mixture before assembling. I omitted the peppers. It turned out fine. We all liked it, but next time I would just use all eggplant. Nice flavors. I needed to use up some eggplant, and I had some nigella.

Sharanya

Parboiled the potatoes and skipped the issues that others were having in the comments. I enjoyed the flavors!

viola

The potatoes weren't quite right. Generally, it was not a hit for me.

Jessica

At least 2x baking time is needed for this dish if fully packed. I left the skins on eggplant and potatoes; suggest making eggplant layers 1.5-2x thicker than potato layers because they cook much faster. Yogurt or sour cream is a nice addition at the end.

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