About:

If you’re bored with stuffed peppers and wondering what to serve your veggie guests, this stuffed aubergine dish is perfect. Fresh wet masala is made with spices and onion. Baby Indian eggplants are stuffed with freshly ground masala. They are then cooked on low flame till very soft.

Servings: 3 to 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 – 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Baby eggplant: 8-10 Medium
Shallots- 4 – 5
Oil-2tsp
Salt-to taste

Masala for the Stuffing:

Roasted Peanuts – ½ heaped cup
Dhania/Coriander Seeds – ¾ tbsp
Jeera/Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Saunf/Fennel Seeds (Optional) – ½ tsp
Dry Red Chillies – 4-5
Cloves – 3
Cinnamon – 1/4 inch
Finely Chopped onion-1 medium
Tamrind paste – 1tbsp thick
Desiccated Coconut – 2 heaped tbsp
Oil -1 tsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

• Slit the baby aubergine in the centre to ¾ th keeping the stems intact. Make another slit making + mark. Place these baby eggplants in a bowl filled with cold water and a tsp of salt.
• Similarly slit onion in the centre with the edges intact

Make Filling Paste:

• Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and dry red chillies for 2 minutes on medium flame until the whole kitchen smells like a piece of heaven! Transfer the roasted spices to a bowl.
• In a same pan, dry roast desiccated coconut till it turns light golden in colour, about 1 minute. Allow it to cool a bit and blend it to a powder in a blender or a food processor.
• Transfer the ground powder to a bowl. Mix the tamrind paste, Oil, Desicatted coconut, Salt and chopped Onion. (Onion is optional but I love adding to fillings)

Stuffing Aubergine and Onion:

• Now start stuffing the baby eggplants and onion with about ½ to ¾ tbsp of spice powder depending on the size of baby eggplant. Take care not to break the eggplant from its stem. Once you have stuffed all of the baby eggplants, .
• Similar way stuff the Onions with the paste
• You will still be left with the ground spice paste. Keep it aside until needed

For stove top cooking:

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Arrange the stuffed baby eggplants in one single layer and cover the pan with lid. Let it cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the lid and gently flip the baby eggplants on other side. Place the onion and the left over masala paste nd add some water if desired and Cover the lid again and continue to cook until onion and eggplant is tender (~4 to 5 minutes). Adjust the salt as per paste as it is already while making the masala paste
• Now mix in the remaining ground powder and add about 1 to 1½ cups of water. Mix them well and cover the lid. Let it cook for 7-10 minutes or until the baby eggplants are cooked well, stirring in between to make sure that the gravy doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add little more water if you find the gravy to be too thick.
• Once you get desired consistency Turn off the flame
• Garnish with chopped Coriander

Serve with Oats and Flaxseed Chapati/Roti