Baingan Ka Salan

Baingan ka Salan - I was introduced to this heavenly dish by a friend of mine.. It has this amazing nutty tangy flavor to it (you'll know when you taste it).. It is very easy to cook and here is how :-)

Ingredients:

• 6-7 Indian Baby Eggplant 
• ¹/₄cup oil (to cook the eggplant)
• 2 large onions
• 1¹/₂ tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste 
• 1¹/₂ tsp crushed green chillies (I use Serrano pepper) - adjust to the level of heat you prefer in your food 
• ¹/₃ cup sesame seeds (roasted)
• ¹/₃ cup + 1 tbsp - peanuts (roasted)
• ¹/₂ cup grated coconut
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1¹/₂ cup tomato purée 
• ¹/₂ cup oil (to cook the gravy) 
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• ¹/₄ tsp fenugreek seeds
• Pinch of asafoetida 
• ¹/₂ tsp turmeric powder 
• 1¹/₂ tsp red chilli powder (adjust to your taste)
• 1 tsp tamarind extract dissolved in 1¹/₂ cups of water
• Salt - to taste

Garnishing:

• 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Above - Eggplants wrapped in aluminum foil

Above - The different purées used in this recipe

Method:

• First of all we will prep our eggplants. Preheat the oven to 325F. Wash the eggplants and dry them thoroughly. Keep their crowns attached; coat eggplants with a thin layer of oil and wrap each individually with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 minutes.
• Let them cool down a bit (enough for you to handle them) and then remove the aluminum foil.
• Add the oil to a skillet and once hot, add the eggplants and cook them on a medium-low flame for about 5 minutes.
• In a food processor/blender, add the roasted sesame seeds, peanuts and fennel seeds and make a fine paste. To this, add the grated coconut and process again. Set the paste aside.
• Purée the onion, Serrano pepper, ginger & garlic and set aside.
• In a saucepan, add the oil; once the oil is hot, add cumin, mustard & fenugreek seeds and when they crackle, add the asafoetida and the prepared onion purée. Stir and let it cook covered for 3-5 minutes or until the onion changes color (this is to get the rawness of onion out before we proceed to the next step).
• Now add the tomato purée, stir and let it cook covered for another 8-10 minutes (till you see the oil separate from the side.
• Now stir in the sesame, peanut, coconut paste, spices and the tamarind water. Let it simmer on low for 15-20 minutes (add more water if you like the consistency of the gravy thinner).
• Garnish with the cilantro and serve!

Serving Suggestions:

The baingan ka salan can be served and relished with Roti and/or Rice
Enjoy!