Stuffed Eggplant

Some dishes always retain their exotic status no matter how often you cook them or how common they are at very many dinner tables. Stuffed Eggplant is one such dish. Of the million versions of this classic dish, I try a new each time with little or more success. The recipe below uses Goda masala, a traditional Maharashtrian spice mixture. As expected, it added a lot more flavor to the dish.

Ingredients

Baby eggplants – 8

Dry Coconut powder – 6 tsp

Chopped cilantro – ¼ cup

Tamarind paste – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Red chili powder – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Goda masala – 1 tsp

Diced garlic – 1 tsp

Grated ginger – 1 tsp

Diced Onion – 1 medium

Asafetida – a pinch

Water – as needed

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Dilute the tamarind paste by adding a little water so that it has syrup like consistency. Add coconut powder, chopped cilantro, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red chili powder, goda masala and salt to form a mixture. Use half of this mixture to fill up the eggplants.

Chop off the top green portion of the baby eggplants. Make 3 slits in each eggplant to carve an opening. Take roughly 1 tsp of the mixture prepared above and stuff the eggplants one by one. Set aside once all are nicely prepped up.

Heat oil in a skillet; add asafetida, diced onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onions are done. Add the remaining mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to boil. Place the stuffed eggplants one by one in the skillet and cook covered for 30 minutes or so. Do not stir the eggplants too much in between. Alternative transfer the contents of the skillet to a pressure cooker and blow three whistles.

The use of Goda masala made this dish a little extra spicy, just the way we like it sometimes.

Serving suggestions

·         With Roti/Rice

Tips

·         Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) can be used in place of tamarind.

  Interesting fact

·    Eggplant has more nicotine than any other edible plant but not so much as compared to passive smoking.