Indian Eggplant in Spicy Sauce

This is actually a South Indian dish. I did this for the first time, my hubby and I loved it. Warning: The recipe is very spicy. Tastes great with plain, white rice.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 60 mins
• Calories: 132 Calories

Ingredients

• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large eggplant
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 5 dried red chile peppers, or to taste
• ½ cup tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoon dry garbanzo beans (Bengal gram)
• 1 red onion, chopped, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Bake the eggplant in the preheated oven until very soft and easy to mash, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle, 15 to 20 minutes. Peel and mash or blend it in a food processor; keep aside.

Step 3

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium heat. Add chile peppers, Bengal gram, and coriander. Saute until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, 10 to 20 minutes. Grind into a fine powder.

Step 4

Heat remaining oil in the pan and add mustard seeds. Add onion and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in tamarind extract, turmeric, and powder mixture, adding water as needed if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; let simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in mashed eggplant; let simmer, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Serve hot.