Ingredients:

• 4 – eggplants/brinjals (200 g approximately)
• 4 tbsp – oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard Seeds
• Cumin seeds/jeera, a pinch (optional)
• 3-5 – Curry leaves (optional)
• For spice powder/podi:
• 3 – Red Chillies
• 1/2 tsp – Channa dal/Bengal gram dal
• 1/2 tsp – whole urad dal/black lentil
• A little less than 1/4 tsp – hing/asafetida
• 1/2 tsp – coriander seeds/dhania

Method:

1. Dry roast the ingredients mentioned for spice powder/podi. Allow to cool and grind to a fine powder in a blender/mixie adding salt. The use of solid type of asafoetida is recommended.
2. Wash and cut the brinjals/eggplants into 4 pieces. Try to retain the stems.
3. In a skillet/pan, add 2 tbsp of oil.
4. When it is hot, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
5. Then, add a pinch of cumin seeds and a few curry leaves.
6. When they sizzle, add eggplants and saute until they become tender.
7. The entire cooking must be done on a medium low flame.
8. Otherwise, the outer skin of eggplants will cook too fast and they will still be raw in the centre.
9. Add 1 tbsp of oil as you saute.
10. Just to confirm that the eggplants are cooked properly, pierce a toothpick or curry leaf stem in the centre.
11. If it pierces easily, then they are cooked. If it is hard to pierce, then cook for some more time.
12. When they are 90% tender, add the spice powder/podi and 1 tbsp of oil and mix well.
13. The powder/podi must coat all the eggplants.
14. Cook for a couple of minutes until the eggplants become tender and the podi coats them well.
15. When you see the oil leaving the pan, remove from flame and close the pan with a lid.
16. Let it stay for a while so that the eggplants absorb the masala well.
17. Recipe courtesy: Food for 7 Stages of Life