Ingredients:
- 300g eggplants
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 3 tablespoons or so of oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 cup of sliced onions
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped finely
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chilli
- 1 teaspoon tumeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon garam masala
- 0.5 cup chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
- 0.5 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoons of smoked salt
Method:
- cut the eggplants into strips, trying to keep at least one side with skin
- put the eggplants in a colander, sprinkle with salt and leave aside for at least 30 minutes. This can be skipped as originally it was intended to remove bitterness from the veg, but is nowadays used to reduce the water content. Adjust water later by half if you skip it
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and fry until they crackle. Once they do add onions, garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant
- Add all the spices and cook for a bit, then tomatoes and water. Let cook for a while
- In anothr skillet heat oil and brown eggplant from all sides. Once that’s done add to the original pan, season with lemon juice and smoked salt. Cook for about 15-20 minutes
Notes: smoked salt is what makes a difference in this dish, as eggplants taste much better if charred. Smoked salt is a substitute for this process. It can be replaced with regular salt and liquid smoke, but since the latter is a bit tart reduce the amount of lemon juice if you go this route.