This is an eggplant curry from south India, commonly eaten with Jowar Roti (Millet flatbread).
I made this once my sister returned from the Alaska vacation to pamper her with some home food :)
What’s the secret?
- Make two perpendicular cuts in small eggplants (you find this type of eggplant in Indian store, packs more eggplant flavor than the ones local to the US). Make sure that you don’t cut all the way through - the stem should still hold the eggplant together Soak the eggplants in water for at least an hour
- Heat plenty of oil (really, go nuts), and add some garlic, chopped onions and salt until the onions turn brown
- Add chopped onions to this and mix it well, until it softens up into a paste
- Stuff the masala powder (mainly made of peanuts, dried coconut and dried red chillies and coriander seeds) in between the cuts in the eggplant and place it in the mixture
- Repeat for every eggplant, and add more powder to the base, to thicken up the sauce
