Baby eggplant curry, an authentic Indian side dish that is hot, spicy, slightly tangy. The gravy is most desirable to serve with Indian staple food Biryani.
5tablespoonsesame oilor any neutral-flavored cooking oil
500gramsbaby eggplant / brinjal-slit lengthwise leaving ½ inch at the bottom
2tablespoonwhole black pepper
1teaspooncumin seeds
1inchcinnamon
½cuponionfinely chopped
½cuptomatoroughly chopped
1tsp red chili powder
3tsp coriander powder
½tsp turmeric powder
1tsp garam masala
11/2cupwater
1tsp salt or as required
1cupvegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Over medium heat, place a pan and add sesame oil and brinjal.
Fry until the center of the eggplant is cooked thoroughly.
Transfer to plate and set aside.
In the same pan over medium heat, add black pepper, cumin seeds, and cinnamon stick.
When they turn golden brown, add finely chopped onion.
Continue to saute them till the onion becomes soft and tender.
Then add tomato and saute until tomato becomes mushy(You may add a quarter teaspoon of salt to make it cook evenly).
Add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and garam masala.
Turn the heat to medium-low and saute it for a minute. Make sure the spices should not get burned or undercooked.
Add a cup of water and salt.
Turn to medium heat and cook for 12 minutes or until the masalas in the mixture cooked completely.
Finally, add the kept aside fried brinjals.
Finally cook for 2 minutes or until it reach your desired consistency.
Notes
You may use the regular eggplant in spite of baby eggplants. But cut them like a lengthwise strip for good texture.To cut down the spice, you may reduce the red chili powder or swap it with paprika.