About:
Boiling, steaming, sautéing, deep fat frying, grilling, broiling, microwaving….and one method that is increasing in popularity these days and is also one of the healthiest ways you can enjoy vegetables….namely roasting.

Health Benefits:

Roasting vegetables helps to retain both the flavour and important nutrients in the vegetable itself. Unlike boiling or even steaming to a lesser degree, the flavour and some of the important vitamins and minerals (especially the water soluble ones like C and the B complex) are not leached out into the cooking water and then poured down the drain afterwards.
Deep fat frying has its own obvious downside such as additional carbs and then with that are digestion issues. Of the remaining cooking methods, sautéing is a pretty decent alternative and finally grilling and broiling enjoy the same healthy benefits as does roasting.
Most importantly, roasted vegetables taste terrific. This cooking technique draws out their natural sweetness. So have chosen this to roast aubergine and cooked in the thick rich onion gravy

Serves: 2
Cooking time: 30-35mins
Preparation time: 30mins

Ingredients:
• Aubergine large -1num
• Oil- to roast aubergine
• Tamarind pulp-2tbsp
• Coriander powder-1tsp
• Jeera powder-1/2tsp
• Chilli powder-1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds-1/2tsp
• Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
• Salt-as per taste
• Jaggery/sugar-1tsp
For grinding:
• Chopped Onion-2num
• Sesame seeds-1tbsp
• Pumpkin seeds-1tbsp
• Red chili-4-5num
• Dry grated/dessicated coconut-1/4cup
• Coriander -2 springs

Procedure:
Preparing aubergine:
• Wash and cut the aubergines across into 1/2inch (1cm) slices, lay the slices on a board and lightly sprinkle them with salt on both sides.
• Leave them for 20mins to draw out some excess moisture, then blot them dry with kitchen paper.
For roasting aubergines:
• Roasting can be done in grill/tawa OR oven.
On grill/ tawa:
• Brush the grill pan/tawa lightly with olive oil and place it over a high heat, then when it is hot cook aubergines in batches for about 2-3mins on each side/ until slightly golden (this should take approx. 15-20mins)

In oven:
• Pre heat the oven at 220c.
• Grease the baking sheet and place the sliced eggplants and bake for 18-20mins, until eggplant are tenderand beginning to brown.

For gravy:
• Heat a non-stick pan dry roast onion, red chilli for 3-4mins , then add in sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds , dry coconut and saute for few minutes. Let it cool down little bit. Add into a blender and grind it to the smooth gravy.
• Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, cumin seeds as it splutters add the ground gravy , tamrind pulp and cook for 3-4mins.
• Then add coriander powder, jeera powder, chilli powder , salt, jaggery/sugar mix and let it cook on a medium flame for 8-10mins/until it comes to boil, then add roasted aubergine slices and simmer for 3-5mins more.
• Switch off the flame. Let it sit for 5mins and then transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve with biryani, roti, pulka.

Note:
Instead of roasting the aubergine you can even cook in the gravy as well.