Finger Licking Yummy Stuffed Baby Eggplants

I made these stuffed baby eggplants other day and they came out just like the title says "finger licking good" So I thought I will share with you all.

When you make Indian curry with fresh ground spices, its taste and flavor is totally different. This time that is what I did, used fresh roasted ground  spices and these eggplants were out of this world.

Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup Urad dal
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 2 dried Anaheim pepper pods of any red chili pepper pods ( I used Guajillo chili pepper pods
   which a friend of mine had brought back from Mexico)
• 1/4 cup cashew or peanuts
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Ingredients to make gravy filling

• 1 red onion
• 1 yellow onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 yellow or red pepper
• 4 Serrano pepper
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 4 tables spoon oil divided in two parts
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds divided in two parts
• 1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida
• 1 table spoon tamarind paste

• 1/4 cup of coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• Salt to to taste (~1and half teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon of Sambar or Rasam powder (optional) 
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder (optional)
• 10 baby egg plant
• 1/2 cup water
• One small bunch of Cilantro washed and chopped

Method:

• Wash and slit the eggplant lengthwise so the stem is intact.
• Cook them in microwave in water or in boiling water on stove for 20-25 min until tender.
• When cooked, drain all the water and set aside.

• While the eggplant are cooking roast all the dry ingredients on a griddle of frying pan on stove constantly stirring on medium low heat.
• When these are light brown and emitting nice aroma, you can turn the stove off and let them cool.
• Once cool, grind them all in coffee grinder to fine powder.
• Set aside
• While the spices are cooling you can prepare the gravy.

Method to prepare gravy:

• In a food processor chop red and yellow onions, garlic, Serrano pepper, yellow pepper to paste.
• Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan.
• When oil is hot add cumin seeds and when these crackle add asefoetida.
• Add chopped onion, garlic pepper paste.
• Saute on medium heat until golden brown.

• Add crushed tomatoes.
• Cook for 1 min then add all the ground dry spices along with coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and sarmbar/rasam powder (if using).
• Add water.
• Mix well and add salt and tamarind paste. 
• Cook on slow heat for few min until reduced to paste and all the water is gone.
• Set aside.

 

Method to prepare eggplants:

• By now the cooked and drained eggplant must be cool and easy to handle.
• Make sure all the water is drained out.
• Filled cooking filling with spoon in each eggplant.
• There may be some filling left that is okay.

• Heat remaining 2 tablespoon of oil in a wok like pan.
• Make sure oil is all around the pan.
• Add cumin seed in heated oil and when these splatter, add one by one eggplant in to the pan and remaining unused filling.
• Gently toss the egg plant and cook for min.
• Turn the heat off.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro. 
• Serve hot with Naan, or Chapati/roti and or Rice.

Enjoy !!

Recipe and photographs by Surekha.