South Indian Style Eggplant Curry

•50 gm tamarind

•1½ C water

•1 Tsp coriander seeds

•3 Tsp chana dal

•2 dried red chilies

•1½ Tbsp grated fresh coconut

•½ Tsp turmeric

•1½ tsp salt

•¼ Tsp asafetida powder

•400 gm eggplant (brinjal), diced into 1-inch cubes

•1 C cooked toor dal

•¾ C cooked chickpeas (chana/chole)

•1 Tsp oil

•1 Tsp black mustard seeds

•1 Tsp urad dal

•8-9 fresh curry leaves

1.Soak the tamarind in ½ cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze to extract the tamarind puree. Keep aside.

2.Heat a pan over moderate heat. Drop in the coriander seeds, chana dal and red chilies and toast for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant and they darken in color. Remove from the spices from heat. Drop the coconut in the pan and toast it until becomes golden brown in color. Remove from heat and grind all the spices with a few sprinkles of water to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

3.Combine the tamarind puree, remaining water, turmeric powder, salt, asafetida and eggplant in a saucepan. Cook covered over moderate heat. Half-way through the cooking add the cooked toor dal and chickpeas. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the eggplant is soft and the sauce thickens. Add the coconut spice paste and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring often to avoid the sauce to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.

4.Heat oil in a small sauté pan over moderate heat; add mustard seeds, when they crackle, add the urad dal and sauté until they turn golden brown. Add the curry leaves, stir for a while, and immediately remove the pan from the heat and mix the seasoned spices to the eggplant gravy. Serve with plain boiled rice.

4-5