A classic North Indian dish of fire-roasted aubergine mashed and simmered with onion, tomato and spices — deeply smoky, rich and perfect with roti or rice.
- 1 large Aubergine
- ½ cup Onion
- 1 cup Tomatoes
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 Green Chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1.5 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped Coriander Leaves
- as required Salt
Tags:
Spicy Bun CalorificVideo
Preparation
- Rinse the aubergine and pat dry. Rub it all over with a little oil and roast over an open flame for the best smoky flavour (you can also grill or oven-roast it, but you'll lose some smokiness), turning every 2 to 3 minutes so it cooks evenly. You can embed a few garlic cloves in it before roasting.
- Roast until completely tender — a knife should slide in without resistance — then remove and immerse in a bowl of water until cool.
- For an extra layer of smoke (optional), use the dhungar method: heat a small piece of natural charcoal over a flame until red-hot, make small cuts in the aubergine, place the hot charcoal on the same plate, add a few drops of oil to it, and as it begins to smoke, cover the whole plate tightly with a large bowl for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Peel the skin from the roasted aubergine, then finely chop or mash the flesh.
- Heat oil in a kadai or pan and add the finely chopped onion and garlic, sautéing until translucent but not browned.
- Add the chopped green chilli and sauté for a minute, then stir in the chopped tomatoes.
- Sauté until the oil starts to separate from the mixture, then add the red chilli powder and stir well.
- Add the chopped aubergine and mix thoroughly into the onion-tomato masala.
- Season with salt and sauté for a further 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in or garnish with the coriander leaves and serve with phulkas, rotis, chapatis, bread, or plain or jeera rice.
