Eggplant is one of the most versatile vegetable to cook. It can absorb the flavors of spices very well and can be served grilled, as a stir-fry or curry. For a quick recipe how to grill eggplants check out the article at http://www.examiner.com/indian-food-in-phoenix/quick-recipes-grilled-eggplant-with-onions-and-chillies . More information about the kind of eggplants, their qualities can also be found under the same article.
A very tasty way to prepare eggplants is to make a stir-fry using spices that are normally used to make pickles. Pickling is an entire art form in India. Vegetables like raw mangoes, limes, carrots, turnips, chilies etc are sun-dried in a mixture of whole and ground spices and mustard oil. The resulting spicy pickle called “Achar” is delicious to eat and can be enjoyed for months later. The following recipe for Achari Baingan (pickled eggplant) uses the same spices along with some leftover pickle oil to get the same flavors in minutes. My husband Soumya cooked this for the first time by experimenting with some known ingredients. So he gets the credit for this recipe!!!!!
Achari Baingan
Ingredients
2 lbs small eggplants halved (or 2 large eggplants cut into 3” slices)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion (grated)
2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp salt
1tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp tomato puree
1tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
1tsp onion (kalonji) seeds
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1tsp fennel (saunf) seeds
1 tsp leftover oil from mango achar (mango pickle)
Chopped cilantro and green chilies for garnish
Method
Heat oil in a deep pan or wok (karai) and fry the eggplant pieces till slightly tender. Don’t over fry or they will get mushy. Keep the fried eggplant aside. Next in the leftover oil, fry the grated onion along with the ginger and garlic paste. Add the whole spices viz. cumin, onion seeds, mustard, fenugreek and fennel. Add salt, turmeric, chili and coriander powder. When the onion is well fried, add the tomato puree or small can of tomato paste. Now put the eggplant pieces back in the pan. Mix well with the fried masala (gravy). Add the leftover mango pickle oil and switch off the stove. Let it remain in the pan for an additional 5 minutes for the spices to seep and the flavors to develop. Garnish with cilantro and chopped green chilies and served with Indian bread like roti.
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes
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