We met Chef Nilesh Limaye at a restaurant where he is currently the consultant chef. Among all the Pan Asian fare that arrived from his kitchen, what we particularly loved was the fried eggplant platter. We remarked how close the flavours of the dish were to the Indian palate, and indeed, it was because the appetizer was inspired by the Mumbai Bhel. This one was an eggplant and peanut snack made the Pan-Asian way.

On request, Chef Limaye made a different take on the dish -- Crisp Fried Eggplant Dredged with Peanuts, a Pan-Asian dish with a twist of red wine and Demerara (brown) sugar. The crunch factor is everything here, and it comes from crispy eggplant slices fried at the right temperature and good quality roasted peanuts. As Chef Limaye says in the video, “The dish uses three typically Indonesian, Cambodian and Malasian ingredients – peanuts, coriander and brown sugar as a substitute for palm sugar.”

Click here to watch the recipe video. 

Chef Profile: Chef Nilesh Limaye is a consultant chef who has helped many restaurants start food businesses in Dubai, Mumbai, Goa and Bangalore. He started his career 25 years ago and has spent many years in Cambodia. He is also a TV host, author and columnist.