Baingan Bharta With Lentils

Toast, cool, and grind 1Tbs cumin seeds. Set aside.

Soak 1 cup of preferred lentils. I used brown this time.

Take one large or two medium eggplants and cut four slits in them. Stuff one to two cloves of garlic in each slit. Broil 3-5 minutes each side. Let cool.

Chop one medium yellow onion and dice one jalapeño. Sautee until soft. Add to the pan: the Tbs of ground cumin seeds, 2 Tbs garam masala, 1 Tbs yellow curry powder, 1 Tbs tumeric, 1 tsp fenugreek. Sautee until fragrant and dump the load into a crock pot.

Peel the eggplant and remove stem. Roughly chop and add to the crock. Drain and clean the lentils and add to pot.

Add: one can chopped tomatoes with liquid, one can plain tomato sauce, one cup veggie or chicken stock. Stir together and set crock on HIGH for 6 hours.

Note: keep an eye on the liquid and add a bit more stock if you notice the lentils are really thirsty. You don't want a watery sauce but you also need to make sure the lentils cook through.

When the eggplant starts to break down, begin adding salt to taste.

Serve with preferred naan or chapati and condiments.