Mashed Eggplant Curry

Ingredients (Serves 5 – 6)

1. Coconut oil – 1 – 1.5 tbsp

    Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

    Dried red chilly – 1 broken

    Curry leaves – A few

2. Eggplant – 2 medium-small or 1 large (I used Chinese eggplant. You can use a small American eggplant or 5 small Indian eggplants instead)

    Green chilly – 1, slit

3. Tamarind – Goose-berry sized, soaked in 1.5 cup hot water for 15 minutes

4. Jaggery –1/4 – 1/2 tsp

5. Salt – To taste

6. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

    Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp

    Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp

    Fenugreek powder – 1/8 tsp

    Hing – 1 pinch

Method

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 – 1.5 cup hot water and squeeze out its juice.

2. Wash the eggplant and chop them (halve the eggplant and cut into 1 – 1.5 inch pieces). Put them in a vessel filled with water. Squeeze out the water really well and set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan at medium-high heat. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chilly and curry leaves. Add the eggplant pieces, slit green chilly, salt and stir for 4 – 6 minutes. Add tamarind juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until eggplant pieces turn soft. Mash them using the back of a spoon (thavi).

3. Meanwhile heat the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder and hing in a small pan at low heat. Stir continuously for 1 – 2 minutes until their raw smell is gone(take care not to burn). Add this to the mashed eggplant gravy and cook for a few minutes. Add 1/4 tsp jaggery (to balance the flavors), few curry leaves and a tsp of coconut oil. Mix well. Switch off. Serve with rice and other side-dishes.

Recipe Courtesy – Divya Santhosh