Ingredients:
Onion (large) – 1
Tomato (large) – 1
Garlic – 6 cloves (cut it into half)
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp (optional, add to your taste)
Tamarind – small ball size (soak into water)
Salt to taste
Dry roast & grind into paste:
Ground nuts – 1 tbsp
Coconut (fresh) – 2 tbsp (chopped)
Jeera/ cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek/ methi seeds – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
Channa dal/bengal gram dal/chick pea – 1 tbsp
Pepper corns (optional) – ½ tsp
Whole dry red chili – 2 nos
Whole coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Marinate & frying :
Oil – 2 tbsp
Baby eggplant/brinjal – 10 (cut it into plus shape)
Red chili powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Tempering:
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeera – 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Whole dry red chili – 2 nos
curry leaves – 1 strand
Method:
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First wash the brinjal/eggplant, trim its stem and cut it plus shape to the bottom (don’t remove the stem fully).
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Now mix all the marinating ingredients in a dry bowl and stuff into brinjal & keep aside for 10 minutes.
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Dry roast all the ingredients, grind it with soaked tamarind & make it into paste.
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Keep the pan on low heat, add oil and pan fry the brinjal. After frying removes the excess oil using paper towel.
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In the same pan, add mustard seeds after it gets spluttering, add cumin, fennel seeds, red chili and curry leaves sauté it for a minute.
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Now add garlic, after it gets golden brown, then add finely chopped onion and sauté until it turns to pink color & tender.
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After that add red chili and turmeric powder, sauté it for 2 minutes till the raw flavor goes off.
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Now add finely chopped tomatoes and cook until woes out its moisture (looks like mushy).
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Now add the fried brinjal/ eggplant, grounded paste and add generous amount of water.
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Cover it with lid & cook it for 15 minutes on medium flame, once the oil float on the top switch of the flame.
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Garnish it with cilantro.
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Serve it hot and enjoy it with steamed rice & pappad.
Hint:
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Brinjal/ eggplant curry goes well with dosa, idly, paratha & chappathi (Indian bread).
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Ginegelly oil makes the dish more tasty then any other oil.
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Also garnish with fried cashew nuts (enrich its taste).