Hyderabadi baghara Baingan

Ingredients

Baby Eggplants- 10-12

Oil- 3tbsp

Nigella seeds- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- 8-10

Tamarind- A small lime sized, soaked and pulp extracted

Jaggery- 2tspns

Salt to taste

Ingredients for the spice mix:

Oil- 1tsp

jeera or cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Ginger- 1" piece

Garlic- 2 cloves

Turmeric- 1/4tsp

Onion- 1 medium, chopped fine

Peanuts- 2 tbspns

Sesame seeds- 1 tsp

Cashewnuts- 2 tbsps

Coriander seeds- 1tbsp

Freshly grated coconut- 3tbsp

Kashmiri red chilies- 3-4

Preparation

Wash the eggplants and pat them dry. Slit the eggplants length wise into fours but keep the stems intact. This way, the egg plants remain joined at the stem. Keep aside.

Heat a tspn of oil in a separate pan and add the cumin seeds, peanuts and cashew nuts and fry for a few seconds. Add ginger, garlic and chopped onion and fry for a min. Add the turmeric, coriander seeds, coconut and Kashmiri red chilies and fry till the mixture is brown. Allow the mixture to cool completely and blend to a fine paste using a little water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and fry the egg plants till brown and tender, remove and keep aside.

Add the nigella seeds to the same oil and allow them to crackle. Stir in the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Add the ground paste, tamarind pulp, salt and jaggery and mix well.

Add the sautéed egg plants and 1/2 cup of water and cook covered over low heat till the egg plants are cooked through and soft.

Serve the curry hot with either rice or rot is.