The Russian Tea Room is an iconic restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Carol and I have eaten there at least once during one of the times I was working in Manhattan in the 1970s and 1980s. It published a cookbook in 1981 and at some point in the early 1980s I copied out the recipe for one of their then signature dishes, Eggplant Oriental. (It is not on their current menu.) I made it several times in the 1980s. I recently came across my copy of the recipe and decided to make it. It is a nice salad or topping for bread, similar to ajvar or other Eastern European eggplant/pepper/tomato dishes. We ate it last night with pitas and lettuce leaves. (The cookbook also recommended it with pumpernickel bread or cucumber sticks.)
2 eggplants, weighing 1 lb. each
½ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 Tbs. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. ground coriander
1.5 tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. ketchup
3 Tbs. SriRacha or similar chili sauce
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
Peel the eggplants and cut into 1-inch cubes. Put on an oiled cookie sheet and roast until soft, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the eggplant is cooking, heat the oil in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, coriander, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Cook covered over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Chop the cooked eggplant finely. Add to the Dutch oven, stir well, and cook covered for another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, stir in the ketchup and chili sauce. Taste for seasoning. Cool and store in the refrigerator. Serve chilled with bread, lettuce, or crudites.