South Indian Eggplant Curry Baked Recipe

Ingredients

For the eggplant:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or Indian red chili powder or use 1/2 teaspoon paprika instead for keeping it mild
• 1 teaspoon or more garam masala or you can use sambar masala or Berbere
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large eggplant, chopped into 1-1 1/2 inches by 1/2 inch size cubes, or use small eggplants chopped into quarters
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced about 3/4 cup
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 inch ginger finely chopped or minced

For the sauce:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 12 curry leaves, fresh or frozen or dried
• 8 ounces tomato puree, use unseasoned tomato sauce or purée canned diced tomatoes
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups coconut milk, or other creamy non-dairy milk of choice, or use 1 15 ounce can of coconut milk and 1 cup of other non-dairy milk or water
• 1/4 cup split red lentils, (Masoor dal)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• cilantro and lemon juice for garnish

Steps

1. Use a 9×11 inch baking dish, or one of similar size, to mix the oil thoroughly with all the spices and salt for the eggplant.
2. If the spices clump too much, loosen them with splashes of water or a few teaspoons of water, making a thin spice paste.
3. Put in the eggplant, onion, garlic and ginger and toss thoroughly to coat. The eggplant shrinks considerably, so use a dish that holds it in roughly a double layer.
4. Oven-bake the eggplant at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 degrees Celsius) for 25-30 minutes.
5. While it bakes, make the seed tempering: heat the oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Put in the mustard and fenugreek seeds once the oil is hot and cook until they begin popping or change color. Add the curry leaves and take the skillet off the heat immediately. Add the leaves carefully, as they pop and splash a little. Leave the tempering aside.
6. Take the baking dish out of the oven. Mix in the tomato sauce, coconut milk, lentils and salt, then add the mustard-seed tempering and mix gently.
7. Put the dish back in the oven, cover with parchment and bake for a further 25 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked to your preference and the sauce is thicker.
8. If the sauce has become too thick, gradually mix in about 1/2 cup warm non-dairy milk. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor, mixing in more salt or spices if needed.
9. Take the dish out of the oven and leave it for a few minutes. Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice. Serve with rice, flatbread or dosa, or offer it as a bowl of soup with garlic bread.
10. For a soup version, mix in a little more non-dairy milk while the curry is still hot to make it soupier, then serve with garlic bread.