Sweet and Sour Savory Eggplant on Rice

Sweet and sour savory eggplant on rice could easily turn you into an eggplant lover. It is vegan and gluten free with a special ingredient.

Makes 6 Servings

Savory Eggplant on Rice

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Sweet and Sour Eggplant:

I would like to give you some kind of background or history for this sweet and sour savory eggplant on rice. But I have been making it for so long that I can’t even remember where the original recipe came from. All I know is that I keep getting requests to serve this eggplant dish. So here it is. What is the special ingredient? Stuffed Spanish olives, of course. Whenever I have a recipe that needs a little extra zip or something, I usually add some olives. However, the olives have always been in this recipe, so maybe that’s why so many people like.

If you enjoy this one-dish meal with rice, you may also like Curry Cabbage with Rice.

How much eggplant should I get?

Eight cups diced eggplant weighs about 20 ounces. You will need to purchase one large or two small eggplants that weigh a total of 1-1/2 to 2 pounds.

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Eggplant:

Ingredients for sweet and sour savory eggplant.

2 cups uncooked rice
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1-inch pieces)
3/4 cup finely sliced celery
1 cup diced red bell pepper (3/4-inch pieces)
8 cups diced eggplant, do not peel (1/2-inch cubes)
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 (11.5 fluid ounce) can tomato juice or V-8, divided (1 cup + 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup small pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives, cut in half
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed dried sweet basil
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Instructions for rice and eggplant:

Start cooking the 2 cups of rice before you start preparing the eggplant. Follow the directions on the package. Keep warm until ready to serve.

1. Heat an electric skillet to 275° or use a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion, 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery, and 1 cup diced red bell pepper. The vegetables should sizzle when added to the pan. If they don’t, then turn up the heat slightly until they do.
2. Cook and stir the vegetables for 5 to 10 minutes or until onion is translucent.
3. Add the 8 cups diced eggplant. Increase heat to 300° and cover. Cook for 15 minutes and stir occasionally to keep eggplant from sticking to the pan.
4. Place the 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the mashed tomatoes, 1 cup tomato juice or V-8, 1/3 cup small Spanish olives, 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon crushed dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper. Cover and simmer until eggplant is tender and sauce is thick. This will take about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup tomato juice. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.

1 - Cook yellow onion, bell pepper, and celery in olive oil in frying pan.

2 - Cook and stir the vegetables at 275° for 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.

3 - Add the 8 cups of diced eggplant. Cover and cook at 300° for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

4 - Add remaining vegetables, olives, & seasonings. Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

There should be about six cups of sweet and sour savory eggplant when done. For each serving, spread about 1 cup of savory eggplant over 1 cup of cooked rice.

Sweet and Sour Savory Eggplant on Rice.

Notes:

• Full disclosure: For variety I have served this sweet and sour savory eggplant over something other than rice, such as rotini pasta or macaroni shells. You could also serve it over mashed potatoes.

5 from 1 vote

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Sweet and Sour Savory Eggplant

Sweet and sour savory eggplant on rice could easily turn you into an eggplant lover. It is vegan and gluten free with a special ingredient.

Eight cups diced eggplant weighs about 20 ounces. You will need to purchase one large or two small eggplants that weigh a total of 1-1/2 to 2 pounds.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword dinner, Eggplant, gluten-free, rice, savory, sweet and sour, vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 140 kcal

Rev. McKinney admin

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked rice
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1-inch pieces)
• 3/4 cup finely sliced celery
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper (3/4-inch pieces)
• 8 cups diced eggplant, do not peel (1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 -14.5 ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1 -11.5 ounce can tomato juice (divided, 1 cup + 1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup small pimiento stuffed Spanish olives (cut in half)
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon crushed dried sweet basil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Instructions

1. Start cooking the 2 cups of rice before you start preparing the eggplant. Follow the directions on the package. Keep warm until ready to serve.
   

2. Heat an electric skillet to 275° or use a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion, 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery, and 1 cup diced red bell pepper. The vegetables should sizzle when added to the pan. If they don’t, then turn up the heat slightly until they do.

3. Cook and stir the vegetables for 5 to 10 minutes or until onion is translucent.
   

4. Add the 8 cups diced eggplant. Increase heat to 300° and cover. Cook for 15 minutes and stir occasionally to keep eggplant from sticking to the pan.
   

5. Place the 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the mashed tomatoes, 1 cup tomato juice or V-8, 1/3 cup small Spanish olives, 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon crushed dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper. Cover and simmer until eggplant is tender and sauce is thick. This will take about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup tomato juice. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.
   

Recipe Notes

• There should be about six cups of sweet and sour savory eggplant when done. For each serving, spread about 1 cup of savory eggplant over 1 cup of cooked rice.
• For variety I have served this sweet and sour savory eggplant over something other than rice, such as rotini pasta or macaroni shells. You could also serve it over mashed potatoes.
• The nutrition information listed below is only for the savory eggplant and does not include the rice.