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Instant Pot Baigan (Eggplant) Choka

Baigan Choka is traditionally made by roasting eggplant (baigan) over an open flame and then seasoning it with sautéed veggies. In this recipe I am cooking the eggplant in my instant pot to achieve similar results.
Course Vegan
Cuisine Guyanese
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 Servings
Author Althea Brown

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant about 1lb in weight
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
  • 2 tablespoons of oil for sautéing I used avocado oil
  • 1/2 purple onion
  • 1 cup of plum tomatoes sliced in halves
  • 1/2 cup of cilantro chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Add water and liquid smoke to the base of your instant pot.
  • Cut 4 to 6 large deep slits into the eggplant
  • Place eggplant on the trivet that comes with the instant pot, so that it is not sitting in the water and liquid smoke
  • Close and seal instant pot, then cook eggplant on high pressure for 12 minutes
  • Release the steam following the quick release instructions for the instant pot
  • Carefully remove the eggplant from the instant pot using tongs, as eggplant will be really hot
  • Then, peel the skin from the eggplant using a knife or fork
  • Shred the eggplant with a fork and set aside
  • Wash the pot of the instant pot to remove the residue from the liquid smoke, if your instant pot is still hot, you can also do this step on the stove top using a sauté pan or skillet
  • Set instant pot to sauté then when hot add oil to the pot (be careful not to add oil if the instant pot has water after washing, wait for the water to evaporate, then add the oil, also feel free to dry the pot after washing)
  • When the oil is hot, add the onions, tomatoes and garlic and sauté until the onions are cooked and the tomatoes are slightly mushy
  • Add cilantro then sprinkle with cayenne pepper and salt
  • Finally pour cooked veggies and oil over the shredded eggplant and mix together well
  • Serve warm