Spice-Roasted Eggplant

As summer winds down and the cooler evenings of fall approach, I start turning on my oven more frequently. This also signals the beginning of my roasting season, especially no-hassle roasted vegetables of all kinds. This eggplant dish is my de-facto “cheating” recipe; one which I always turn to in a pinch—it’s super easy and unfailingly results in a luscious pile of caramelized eggplant goodness.

Ingredients
4 lbs [2kg] Eggplant (cut laterally into ½”-thick slices)
6 tbsp ground Coriander
2 tbsp ground Cumin
3-4 tsp Chilli powder (to taste)
2 tsp Black pepper
2 tsp Asafoetida powder
Salt (to taste)
½ cup Mustard Oil, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 425ºF/220ºC. 
2. Mix spices and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over eggplant and, using your hands, toss well to mix. Drizzle oil over eggplant and toss again. 
3. Lay eggplant in one layer on a large baking pan or tray, making sure that the pieces do not overlap. If they do not all fit in one pan, then use a second pan and cook in batches. 
4. Roast eggplant in the oven for 40 mins, or until golden brown and well caramelised. Halfway through the roasting process, flip the eggplant pieces so both sides are evenly browned. Serve warm.