Eggplants in a North-South Sauce

Ingredients

• •4 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• •⅛ teaspoon ground asafetida
• •½ teaspoon skinned urad dal or yellow split peas
• •½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds
• •½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• •½ teaspoon whole nigella seeds (kalonji)
• •½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• •1 medium onion
• •2 cloves garlic
• •1½ pounds slim Japanese eggplants
• •2 medium tomatoes
• •1 cup chicken stock or water
• •1 teaspoon salt
• •⅜ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Pour the oil into a very large frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the asafetida and the urad dal. As soon as the dal turns a shade darker, add the mustard, cumin, nigella, and fennel seeds, in that order. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, add the onions. Stir and fry for a minute. Add the garlic and the eggplant. Stir and fry for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are a bit browned. Add the grated tomatoes, stock, salt, and cayenne. Stir to mix and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook about 20 minutes or until the eggplants are tender, stirring now and then.

   30 min