Khate Dahi Baingan
What we have in this recipe is a tangy combination made up of three components, 1. the eggplant 2. the yoghurt and 3. the masala mixture
Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1 eggplant or 500g baby eggplant
Masala
- 1 tsp panch phoron
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried mango powder
- 1 tsp tamarind concertrate
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp chillie powder
- ¼ tsp ground tumeric
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp salt
Yogurt
- 1 cup yogurt
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ¼ cup water
Tadka
- 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
- ¼ tsp panch phoron
- 2 dried red chillies
- 2-6 curry leaves
- pinch asfoetida
Instructions
- Start by preparing the the yogurt mixture by cominbing all the ingredients together with a whisk. You can add some more water if the yogurt is extremely thick
- Chop the eggplant into small roundels or into quarters
- Heat some vegetable oil in a fry pan over a medium high heat and cook the eggplant in batches until they are slightly browned on both sides turning them after a few minutes. Do not salt the eggplant! Adding salt will release moisture, and we want the eggplant to stay dry
- Set the cooked eggplant aside on some paper towel to cool slightly
- To prepare the masala, clean the fry pan with a paper towl to reme any
- Add the panch phoron and let the whole spices sizzle and sputter slightly
- Add all of the chopped onions and a oinch of salt. Sweat the onions until they start to become translucent. If the onions appear to start burning, make sure you lower the heat
- Once the onions are soft and translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and remaining spices and stire through really well. Cook until the raw smell of the ginger and garlic has cooked off
- Add in the tamarind and tomato paste with a splash of water and stir this tthrough really well. Continue to cook the mixture until the raw smell of the taomato paste has cooked off. Taste hte mixture for salt and spice and adjust as needed and add a teaspoon of water at a time if the mixtuer drys out too quickly or starts to burn
- Once the masala mixture is cooked, set aside ready for layering
- In a serving bowl or tray layer the 3 components, starting with a thin layer of yogurt, followed by a thing layer of the masala mixture, then slices of the eggplant to cover the masala. Repeat the 3 layers until you finish all the ingredients. Try to finish up with the masala and yogurt on top!
- Now let's prepare the tadka by heating the oil in a small tadka pot or small pot
- Add the panch phoron, asfoetida, dried red chilli and curry leaves using a lid as a shield to prevent any sputtering of the hot oil. The tadka shouldn't take long to prepare and is complete once you hear the crackling and sputtering of the seeds
- Pour the hot oil and it's contents all over the layered dish/bowl/tray and carefully set the pot aside
- Serve as is with some rice or flatbread. I love pairing this direcipe with a really spicy item - the yogurt and tang offer lovely balance to the hea of other recipes.