Ingredients:

  • 5-6 small Indian eggplants
  • 3 tbsp roasted, finely ground peanuts
  • 3 tbsp baigan masala (plus 2 tbsp for gravy)
  • 1 small can tomato sauce (or puree from 2 medium tomatoes)
  • 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • ¼ cup oil
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • ¼ tsp asafetida (optional)
  • ½ cup water (for gravy)

Directions:

  1. Clean and make a plus sign cut in each eggplant, leaving the tops intact.
  2. Soak in salted water for 20 minutes.
  3. Prepare the stuffing by mixing the peanut powder and baigan masala. (You can substitute with natural peanut butter.)
  4. Drain and stuff the eggplants with the mixture.
  5. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and fry the eggplants on all sides over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
  7. Remove the eggplants, then sauté cumin seeds and onions in the same pan until lightly browned. Add ginger and asafetida, cooking for a minute.
  8. Stir in the tomato sauce, baigan masala, fenugreek, and eggplants with ½ cup water. Gently mix and cook until soft.
  9. Adjust salt, add cilantro, and serve with rice or naan.

Note: This recipe can be made with either Category 2 or 3 baigan masala. I typically don’t add cilantro to Category 3 dishes, opting for parsley instead.