Step 1

Slit the Aubergines lengthwise but not all the way up. Keep the stems. Dip them in salted water and keep aside

Step 2

In pan dry Roast coriander seeds , sesame seeds, groundnuts dried red chilie, and poppy seeds. Add dry coconut to the roasted ingredients. A lovely aroma of the roasted spices and coconut will fill your kitchen. Let the spices cool down and ground them into a fine paste.

Step 3

Heat half the oil in a pan and add cumin and fenugreek seeds followed by onions, ginger and garlic. Fry well so that all the raw smells disappear. Add turmeric, the dry roasted and powdered masala and fry for a few seconds. Add the tamarind juice, jaggery and salt. Fry till oil surfaces and switch off the stove. Let the masala cool down and run it through the grinder once again. Add some water if needed. The masala should be fine paste now.

Step 4

In the same pan add 1 Tsp oil and fry the masala paste for a few minutes, taste the masala, and adjust salt, sweetness and tamarind. (Frying the masala for the second time is optional, but I have found that it is tastier if you do this)

Step 5

Stuff each aubergine with the masala. It takes less than a tea spoon for one aubergine, so you will have plenty of masala left over for the gravy.

Step 6

In a clean pan, heat the remaining oil, sputter some sesame seeds and curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds, and drop the stuffed aubergines. Shallow fry the aubergines for a couple of minutes, then cover them for another couple of minutes, keep stirring so that the masala and vegetable do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Step 7

Add the remaining masala to the pan and let Aubergines cook till they are tender in this masala mixture. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Keep sprinkling water if necessary. When the Aubergines are tender, and masala well fried along with it, some oil will surface.

Step 8

Serve hot immediately after cooking.