Baigan Masala
Small brinjals fried and sauced in a brown onion-tomato gravy with a roasted nut paste (peanut, cashew, melon seed, poppy seed). Tangy from tamarind, mellow from yoghurt.
Per serving
Ingredients
- 500 gSmall brinjals (baigan)
- 4Onion, sliced
- 2 tbspGinger-garlic paste
- 2 tspGaram masala
- 2 tspKitchen-king masala
- 2 tbspChopped coriander
- 1 tbspButter
- 4 tbspPeanut + cashew + melon seed + poppy seed paste (dry-roasted)
- 1 tspTurmeric (haldi)
- 1 tspRed chilli powder
- 1/2 cupYoghurt (dahi)
- 2 tbspTamarind (imli) pulp
- for fryingOil
- to tasteSalt
Method
- 1
Slit the brinjals 3/4 of the way through (keep stem). Soak in salt water 10 minutes; drain and pat dry.
- 2
Shallow-fry the brinjals in oil till the skin blisters and the flesh turns translucent. Drain.
- 3
Dry-roast the peanut, cashew, melon seed and poppy seed; grind into a paste with a little water.
- 4
In a fresh pan, heat 2 tbsp oil. Fry the sliced onions till deep brown. Cool slightly and blend smooth — this is your brown gravy base.
- 5
Return the brown onion paste to the pan with butter. Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder, kitchen-king and garam masala. Cook 3 minutes.
- 6
Stir in the nut paste, then the whisked yoghurt (one spoon at a time to prevent splitting). Cook 3 minutes.
- 7
Add the tamarind pulp and salt. Adjust water for a clinging-thick gravy. Slip in the fried brinjals and simmer 5 minutes.
- 8
Finish with chopped coriander. Serve with bajra roti or jeera rice.