BENGALI EGGPLANT CURRY
• 2 pounds baby eggplants • 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt • 2 tablespoons white poppy seeds
• 3-inch piece of fresh unpeeled ginger
• 2 tablespoon mustard oil • 4-plus tablespoons olive oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 10 to 12 fenugreek seeds
• 10 to 12 curry leaves, minced • 1 cup minced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1 teaspoon red chile powder • 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup ground canned tomatoes or 2 cups fresh minced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon jaggery or sugar • 1 teaspoon garam masala
Instructions: Leaving the top intact, slit the bottom of each eggplant into a cross and rub salt on the inside. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain any water that may have collected around the eggplants.
In a blender, puree the yogurt, poppy seeds and ginger until smooth. Set aside.
In a large flat skillet or saute pan over high heat, warm the mustard and olive oil. Pop the cumin, fennel and fenugreek seeds and immediately add the curry leaves followed by onions and drained eggplants. Cook on medium to low heat, covered until the onions are soft and translucent and the eggplant about half cooked. This should roughly take 8 to 10 minutes.
Next add the turmeric, chile, black pepper, coriander and salt. Cook for just a minute, then add the tomatoes. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
Finally, add the pureed yogurt mixture and jaggery and continue simmering covered for another 5 to 7 minutes.
Turn the heat off and stir in the garam masala. Garnish with herbs and serve.
NOTES & VARIATIONS
• This recipe calls for poppy seeds and mustard oil, both hallmarks of Bengali cooking. They are not, however, essential to the recipe. Replace the poppy seeds with sesame seeds, any kind of nuts or nut butter. Mustard oil has very distinct pungent taste. If you do not have it, add more olive oil and a tablespoon of regular or Dijon mustard to the curry when you add the spices.
• Eggplants require a lot of oil when braised and cooking into a stew, and you may need to add more if they appear dry when cooking them with the onions.
• To make a plant-exclusive version, replace the yogurt with coconut milk. Add a bit of lemon juice at the end.
Serves 4-6