Method
- Dry roast the coriander seeds, jeera, red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, til and peanuts until the peanuts start popping a little.
- Make sure not to burn any of the spices.
- Grind the roasted spices with coconut, onion, tamarind, jaggery and salt.
- Add just enough water to make it a coarse paste; Keep aside.
- Make two slits on the eggplants, lengthwise- Such that the slits form a "+" sign on each eggplant.
- Be careful while making the slits, and make sure the eggplant is in 1 piece and not quartered while slitting them; Retain the stalk of the eggplant.
- Stuff the eggplants with the ground masala and keep aside.
- Save the remaining masala for making the gravy.
- Heat oil in a pan; Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.
- Add finely chopped onions and saute for a minute.
- Slowly drop the stuffed eggplants one by one into the pan.
- Cook covered on medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
- Flip the eggplants once in a while, so that they are cooked on all sides;
- Add some water to the saved masala paste and pour into the pan over the eggplants. Adjust ingredients according to taste.
- Saute regularly and continue to cook covered, until the eggplants are done and the gravy reaches the desired consistency.
- Remove from stove and serve hot with rice, rotis, dosas etc.
Courtesy: http://maneadige.blogspot.com/
Ingredients: 4 to 6 - small, round, purple eggplants
1 tbsp - oil
1 tsp - mustard seeds
a generous pinch of hing
1/2 - a medium sized onion, chopped finely
salt as per taste
For the Masala:
1/2 to 3/4 cup - grated coconut, fresh/frozen
2 to 2.5 tsp - coriander seeds
1 tsp - jeera
3 to 4 - cloves (optional)
1" - cinnamon stick (optional)
4 to 5 - dry red chilies, low spiced
2 tsp - ellu/sesame seeds/til, both black & white will do
1 tbsp - peanuts
1/4 tsp - tamarind paste
1/2 tsp - powdered jaggery/sugar
1/2 - a medium sized onion, chopped coarsely