Shall we? The inspiration for this recipe came from Jamaican jerk chicken. It’s been so long since I’ve had that dish, but I’ve always been drawn to smoky, spicy, earthy foods. Jerk seasoning fits all of those categories.
Origin of Jamaican Jerk Cooking
When referring to Jamaican cuisine, “jerk” refers to a style of cooking that involves marinating vegetables, fruits, meat, or fish and cooking it over pimento wood. It’s thought that this cooking style originated in the 17th century from formerly enslaved individuals known as Maroons. Jerk seasoning typically contains habanero peppers and allspice, among other ingredients such as scallions, onions, and other spices. The following is our inspired version!
How to Make Jamaican Jerk Eggplant
This recipe requires 30 minutes from start to finish, and hopefully you have all the ingredients you need in your pantry right now! Don’t sweat it if you’re missing a couple of spices. If you’re checking most the boxes, you’re good! Eggplant is sliced into thick “steaks” and generously brushed with your jerk marinade, which is comprised of tamari, coconut sugar, fresh ginger, garlic, lime juice, chilies, onion, and an array of spices like cinnamon, coriander, and cayenne. The result is a sauce with BIG flavor that soaks right into the eggplant before they’re grilled to perfection. Mmmm. For serving, I went for rice (you could also use cauliflower rice!). And I even whipped up an impromptu dipping sauce for serving, which is entirely optional but adds another wave of flavor I adore to this dish. I hope you LOVE this recipe! It’s: HeartySmokySpicyTenderHealthyQuick + easy& Insanely delicious This would make the perfect plant-based dish for grilling this spring and summer. If you don’t have a grill, don’t worry! I relied on my grill pan, which worked just as well without all of the fuss of firing up the grill. This is a beautiful side dish or appetizer, and it would pair especially well with my Creamy Kale Salad with Shallot & Chickpeas, Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, Simple Vegan Potato Salad, Penne Pasta Salad, 1-Pot Chickpea Shakshuka, Grilled Corn & Zucchini Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, or Best Vegan Gluten Free Cornbread. If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see. Cheers, friends!
