Bhagaare Baingan

Ingredients

250 grams brinjals(very small round purple colored ones)

2 onions, roughly chopped into big chunks

2 teaspoon roughly chopped ginger

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1/2 teaspoon grated jaggery or sugar

1 lemon size ball tamarind, soaked in 1 cup of hot water, then mashed and strained

few curry leaves

oil as required

salt to taste

Dry Roast

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds/khus-khus

3 tablespoon roasted peanuts

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 inch piece of dry coconut/kopra

a pinch of fenugreek seeds

Method

• Wash the brinjals and make cross slits along the length of the brinjal making sure that it is held together at the stem. The brinjals should not break open. Keep this aside.
• In a hot pan roast the onion chunks for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the onions turn soft and slightly brown.Keep this aside.
• Dry roast all the items under 'dry roast' until they darken slightly and give out a roasted aroma.
• Grind the roasted onions and roasted spices along with ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric powder, chili powder and jaggery into a fine paste.
• Stuff each brinjal with a little of the grinded paste. Mix the remaining paste with the tamarind water and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the curry leaves and after two seconds add the stuffed brinjals. Roast the brinjals by shaking the pan(instead of stirring) so that the brinjal brown evenly on all sides. Roast for about 10 minutes on a medium flame.
• Now add the ground paste and tamarind water mix to the brinjals. 
• Cover and cook on a medium low flame for 5-7 minutes. 
• Add half cup of water and stir occasionally till the brinjals are tender and oil separates from the sides. 
• Baghaare baingan is ready to be served with hot rotis.