This Greek eggplant in tomato sauce is a simple, flavorful stovetop dish made with tender eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and a rich red tomato sauce. The eggplant can be traditionally fried or baked in the oven for a lighter alternative before being combined with the sauce.
Eggplant in Tomato Sauce – Easy Greek Stovetop Recipe
6
servings25
minutes40
minutes480
kcal1
hour5
minutesTender eggplant cooked in a rich tomato sauce. An easy Greek stovetop eggplant recipe that can be made with either fried or oven-baked eggplant.
Ingredients
- For the Eggplant
5 5 Eggplants (about 1.2 kg – 2.5 lb)
2 liters 8 1/2 cup Water
2 tbsp 2 tbsp Salt
Corn Oil, as needed for frying
- For the Tomato Sauce
2-3 2-3 Onions, finely chopped
2 2 Sweet Red Peppers, finely chopped
4-5 4-5 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1/2 bunch 1/2 bunch Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
4-5 4-5 Fresh Basil Leaves, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
1 tbsp 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
100 g 1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 tbsp 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
200 g 3/4 cup Tomato Passata
75 ml 1/3 cup Water
Recipe directions
- Prepare the Eggplant
- In a large bowl, combine the water and salt.
- Remove the stems from the eggplants and cut them into cubes.
- Place the eggplant in the salted water and set aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Prepare the Tomato Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the onions, red peppers, and garlic.
- Sauté until the vegetables soften and their excess moisture evaporates.
- Add the chopped parsley, reserving a little for garnishing the finished dish.
- Add the basil, if using, and stir.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Add the tomato paste and sauté for another 1 minute to develop its flavor.
- Pour in the tomato passata and water.
- Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Fry the Eggplant
- Heat enough corn oil for frying in a deep pan or pot.
- Remove the eggplant from the salted water and dry the pieces thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Fry the eggplant in batches until tender and golden.
- Transfer each batch to a tray lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Season lightly with salt, if needed.
- Combine the Eggplant and Sauce
- Return the pan with the tomato sauce to the heat and bring it back to a gentle simmer.
- Add the fried eggplant.
- Stir very gently so the tender eggplant doesn’t break apart.
- Turn off the heat and allow the dish to rest so that the eggplant absorbs the sauce and the flavors come together.
- Garnish with the reserved fresh parsley and serve.
- Oven-Baked Eggplant Alternative
- Instead of frying, arrange the eggplant on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake at 200°C / 390°F, using conventional top and bottom heat, for approximately 25–30 minutes.
- Once tender and lightly browned, add the baked eggplant to the prepared tomato sauce and finish the recipe in the same way.
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Greek Eggplant in Tomato Sauce
Eggplant is particularly good at absorbing the flavors surrounding it, which makes it ideal for a rich tomato-based sauce.
In this recipe, onions, sweet red peppers, garlic, tomato paste, and tomato passata form the base. Fresh parsley and optional basil add freshness, while smoked paprika provides an additional layer of flavor.
The final stage is deliberately short. Since the eggplant is already fully cooked, it only needs to be gently combined with the hot sauce before the heat is turned off.
How to Serve Eggplant in Tomato Sauce
This dish can be served warm or at room temperature, making it suitable both as a main vegetable dish and as part of a larger Greek meal.
Crusty homemade bread is an excellent accompaniment because of the rich tomato sauce. It can also be served alongside feta cheese, olives, or a simple salad when fasting or vegan restrictions don’t apply.
Without feta or another animal-derived accompaniment, the recipe itself is naturally suitable for vegan and fasting diets.