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Eggplants in a North-South Sauce

The cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey calls this “one of our most beloved family dishes, very much in the Hyderabadi style, where North Indian and South Indian seasonings are combined.” Over the years, she has simplified the recipe. “You can use the long, tender Japanese eggplants or the purple ‘baby’ Italian eggplants,” she says, “or even the striated purple and white ones that are about the same size as the baby Italian ones. Once cut, what you are aiming for are 1-inch chunks with as much skin on them as possible so they do not fall apart.” Serve hot with rice and dal, or cold as a salad.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground asafetida
  • ½ teaspoon skinned urad dal or yellow split peas
  • ½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon whole nigella seeds (kalonji)
  • ½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 ½ pounds slim Japanese eggplants, cut crossways into 1-inch segments, or “baby” Italian eggplants cut in half lengthways and then crossways, into 1-inch segments
  • 2 medium tomatoes, grated, about 1 1/4 cups
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      193 calories; 14 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 598 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

Serves 4 to 6.

Preparation

  1. Pour the oil into a very large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida and the urad dal.
  2. As soon as the dal turns a shade darker, add the mustard, cumin, nigella and fennel seeds, in that order.
  3. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, add the onions. Stir and fry for a minute. Add the garlic and the eggplant. Stir and fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until the onions are a bit browned.
  4. Add the grated tomatoes, stock, salt and cayenne. Stir to mix and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook about 20 minutes or until the eggplants are tender, stirring now and then.

45 minutes

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