Spiced Eggplant-Lentil Salad with Mango

Made it,
Loved it.

Serving size 4

Prep Time 45MIN

Total Time 45MIN

Ingredients

4 Tbsp peanut oil or olive oil, divided
2 ½ tsp chili powder, divided
2 ½ tsp curry powder, divided
2 medium eggplants (3/4 pound each), trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
⅓ cup lemon or lime juice, plus more if desired
¼ cup prepared salsa
¼ cup honey
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1 ½ cup cooked lentils (see tip) or one 15-ounce can, rinsed
2 2 bunches scallions, coarsely chopped (reserve 2 tablespoon for garnish)
4 cup torn romaine lettuce
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced (see tip)
¼ cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts or cashews
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500°F.

2. Combine 1 tablespoon oil with 2 teaspoons each chili powder and curry powder in a large bowl. Add eggplant and toss well. Spread the eggplant on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once halfway through, until tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Thoroughly combine the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon each chili powder and curry powder, 1/3 cup lemon (or lime) juice, salsa, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the roasted eggplant, lentils and scallions; gently toss to combine. Taste and season with more pepper and/or lemon (or lime) juice, if desired.

4. Serve the salad on a bed of romaine, topped with mango, nuts, cilantro and the reserved 2 tablespoons scallions.

Kitchen Tip: To cook lentils, combine 1/2 cup red or brown lentils in a medium saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat so the lentils boil gently, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 12 to 18 minutes (red lentils cook more quickly than brown). Makes 1 1/2 cups.

To peel and dice a mango, slice both ends off the mango, revealing the long, slender seed inside. Set the fruit upright on a work surface and remove the skin with a sharp knife. With the seed perpendicular to you, slice the fruit from both sides of the seed, yielding two large pieces. Turn the seed parallel to you and slice the two smaller pieces of fruit from each side. Dice into desired size.

To Make Ahead: Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.