Brinjal Masla (eggplant (aubergine))

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1/2 kg brinjals, tender, round and small (baingan or eggplant)
• 2 medium onions
• 5 red chilies (lal mirch)
• 2 tablespoons tamarind extract (imli)
• 1/2 inch ginger (adrak)
• 2 tablespoons peanuts (moum phali)
• 2 tablespoons grated desiccated coconut (khopra)
• 1 bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish (hara dhania)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (till)
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed (cilantro or saabut dhania)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed (zeera)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (pisi lal mirch)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• salt, to taste
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil

Recipe

• 1 wash the brinjals well, cut the stem, leaving the canopy in place and cut 3/4 of the length of each brinjal into a criss cross, leaving the attached at the other end.
• 2 heat two tablespoons of oil in a thick and wide pan and add the brinjals.
• 3 sprinkle some salt and leave the brinjals to cook until well done and soft.
• 4 in the meantime roast the peanuts and sesame seeds.
• 5 switch off the flame and fry the coconut powder in the hot pan with the heat off.
• 6 using just enough oil roast coriander, cumin and red chillies.
• 7 pricked to a fork or knife, roast the onions on a low flame with the peel.
• 8 allow the roasted onions to cool and remove the peel.
• 9 blend all of the roasted ingredients along with the turmeric powder.
• 10 once all of the ingredients are powdered finely, add the peeled onions, ginger and 1/4 cup of water and blend again until it turns into a fine thick paste.
• 11 transfer the cooked brinljals to another container leaving the oil behind (if there is any).
• 12 in the same pan heat two tablespoons of oil and add the paste, red chilli powder and tamarind extract.
• 13 add water if necessary.
• 14 add salt and cook until the raw smell of the tamarind is gone.
• 15 add the cooked brinjals and cook on a low flame until the oil separates, by continuously stirring them, without breaking the brinjals.
• 16 garnish with the chopped coriander/cilantro leaves before serving.