Roselle and Eggplant Dish

The first week we got our order from the food coop, I was surprised. The same “roselle” that looked like a tiny bundle of greens online was, IRL, a giant bunch of arms-length clippings! 

As I’d find out, these weren’t just any clippings. They belonged to a delicious superfood green perfected for the heat of the summer. 

Second only to my love of food is my love of plants, so figuring out what to do with all this roselle from my food coop delivery was my favorite kind of task. The result wasn’t just pleasant—it was downright delicious, and I’m excited to share it with you here. 

One of my favorite parts about roselle is its sour taste. A bit more sour than tomato sauce, it sparkles in combination with the meaty flavor of the eggplant. With a simple set of spices, this dish is flavorful, balanced, filling, grounding, and surprisingly mellow. I like it even better than cooked spinach! 

I ate it plain, but you could serve it over rice with a protein, like fish, chicken, tofu, or paneer. 

What is roselle?

Roselle, or hibiscus sabdariffa, is a big bush with woody, purple stems and big green leaves. You may already know this plant from the calices that make hibiscus tea, from Tazo’s Passion tea to agua fresca. Confusingly, roselle greens are also known as “Jamaican sorrel” although they’re not all that similar to European sorrel. 

Some say roselle is native to West Africa, while others say parts of South Asia. I found out that cuisines from those regions have long used roselle leaves and calyxes in curries, stews, and teas. The plant appears in traditional medicines and modern day research alike. One research paper suggests that the leaves are especially rich in micronutrients, or phytochemicals. There’s so much potential in one plant! Just be careful: roselle is not recommended for pregnant women.

Can I grow roselle?

Yes, absolutely! I’m on a mission to showcase foods that you can both plant and eat, especially in the Southeast. Roselle is a bushy plant that produces a lot of leaves and flowers if pruned. It thrives in sun, adequate water, and moderately rich soil. In areas with frosts, roselle usually grows as an annual, but in zones 9 and up it thrives year round. Although I haven’t grown roselle, it’s a close relative to cranberry hibiscus, which I shows up everywhere in Central Florida.

The recipe inspiration

I found two great recipes to use as inspiration. As a base, I used Rita’s recipe for Congolese Ngai Ngai Na Basóló from her blog Rita’s Notebook. In her family recipe, she uses frozen roselle leaves, pan-fries them with eggplant, and serves it with fried fish. Yum! I knew I was in. My mouth started watering again watching Ili Sulaiman’s video where she cooks Pulicha Keerai with her mother in law. In this version, I noted the addition of okra and tomato, as well as the blender technique at the end. 

I developed this version of the recipe as a hybrid of the two with the ingredients I had. I hope you like it. Even more, I hope you’ll feel inspired to add this delicious green to your cooking line-up—and to your garden! 

Can I use other greens for this recipe?

Yes, you can! But you may need to adjust it accordingly. If you use a tough green, like collard greens, you’ll need to boil them much longer until they become tender. You could also use frozen roselle, frozen spinach, turnip greens, radish greens, or any other green in this recipe. However, these leaves are uniquely sour, so if you want that sour flavor, add more tomato or some lemon juice. The sourness really adds pleasantly to the dish.

Recipe for Eggplant and Roselle

Step one: prepare your ingredients

If you’re using roselle straight off the bush, you’ll need to remove the leaves from the stems. Then, wash the leaves by soaking them in a bowl of water to remove any debris.

Also, cut your eggplant into big cubes. Dice your onion, chop your tomato, mince your four cloves of garlic, and slice your okra. For the okra, I cut off the tops, cut them in half lengthwise, and then cut those into small half-moons.

Step two: blanch the roselle

Fill a pot halfway with boiling water, salt it well, and bring it to a boil over high heat. When it’s boiling, drain your roselle leaves and add them to the pot. Give it a stir to make sure the leaves enter the water evenly. As they boil, the leaves will change their color, much like collard greens, from bright green to a dull yellow. They’ll also lose their toughness. Once the leaves are pleasantly tender, about 5-10 minutes, then drain them in a colander.

Here’s what they looked like fully cooked.

Note: I used all the leaves pictured above, and they made about two cups of boiled greens–the amount I used for this recipe.

Step three: sauté

Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large pot over medium. Fry 1 teaspoon cumin seeds for 30 seconds to a minute, or until the seeds emit a roasted aroma. Add your diced onion and cook until the onion is translucent and just starting to brown. Then, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the chopped okra, cubed eggplant, and chopped tomato and stir. Cook until the eggplant is fully softened and the tomato begins to emit a “cooked tomato” smell rather than a raw tomato smell. Then, add the blanched roselle leaves and salt or tamari and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until all the flavors have absorbed. 

Here’s what it looked like fully cooked for me.

Step four: blend

Put the whole thing in the blender and process until just barely smooth. Enjoy hot with rice, protein (like fried fish, pan-seared tofu or paneer), and perhaps even a dollop of yogurt.

I hope you enjoy this dish! Here are some other ways to enjoy the greens that grow so well in the tropics and subtropics.

• Curried Coconut Kale and Grits
• Summer Rolls with Okinawa Spinach
• Grown-Up Wild Rice Waldorf with Arugula and Goji Berries
• Malabar Spinach and Potato Stir Fry
• Crispy, Cheesy Roasted Broccoli Raab
• Simple Side Salad with Perfect Creamy Mustard Dressing
• Baked Sweet Potatoes with Mesclun Greens Pesto

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