Khatte Baingan ka Bharta (Sour Eggplant Curry)

The ingredients are fairly simple.  I didn’t have any fresh red chilies so I ended up using some dried ones instead, you can also just use some red chili powder.  The eggplant was grilled, you can do this on an open flame, in your oven, or on a griddle.

You start off by frying the onion seeds and mustard seeds and then adding the onions and cooking only until they turn translucent and then adding the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes are cooked through and the oil separates from everything, add the roasted eggplant and a bit of water, then cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.

At the end, stir in the yogurt and coriander and remove from heat.  Serve with chapattis or naan.

Ingredients:
2-3 tbsp oil
1 large eggplant
1 tsp rai/mustard seeds
1 tsp kalonji/onion seeds
2 garlic cloves, crushed
6-8 whole red chilies
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt to taste
1 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup yogurt
fresh coriander, chopped

Method:

1. Wash and dry eggplant and either grill, roast or bbq the eggplant for 15-20 minutes until the skin turns fairly dark in color.  Turn the eggplant every once in a while in order to get all the sides cooked evenly.
2. Let the eggplant cool slightly before peeling off any of the burnt skin and then cut into 1 inch cubes.
3. In a separate pan, heat the oil to medium-high and add the onion seeds and mustard seeds.  Once they start to crackle, add the garlic and red chilies and stir for a few seconds.
4. Add the chopped onions and stir frequently until they turn translucent.  Do not brown the onions.
5. Add the tomatoes as well as the remaining dry spices (coriander powder, turmeric, cumin, and salt) and cook until the tomatoes lose their color and the oil starts to separate from everything.
6. Add the eggplant, tamarind paste, and a little bit of water.  Lower the heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the eggplant is tender.
7. Add the yogurt and coriander and mix until everything is just heated through.

Serve warm with chapati or naan.