Part relish, part salad, part pickle.  This side dish is tasty and colorful, and adds a lot of zing to your meal.   It uses the typical Indian spice pairing of fennel and nigella seeds.

Chef’s tip: To remove the skin from a ginger, peel with a spoon – it peels off the skin without cutting too deep into the ginger flesh, while being able to go around the knobs of the rhizome more easily than a knife.  Adding ginger earlier in the cooking process subdues its pungency.

1 pint cherry and grape tomatoes, cut into half
1 Serrano chile
1 sprig green onions, white parts only

2 small Italian eggplants, cut into small half inch cubes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon ginger, finely julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 teaspoon ground tumeric
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cilantro leaves

1. Toss together tomatoes, chile, green onions in a large bowl.
2. In a small saute pan under medium heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil.  Saute eggplant cubes till it’s tender.  Remove and add to the tomatoes mix.
3. Add remaining olive oil, ginger, garlic, fennel, nigella seeds and tumeric.  Saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
4. Add vinegar, sugar and salt.  Remove from heat.
5. Pour vinaigrette over the tomatoes and toss to mix.
6. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Serves: 4

Tags: Fennel, hot, Indian, nigella seeds, sour, Tomatoes, vegan, Vegetarian.