Eggplant in yogurt sauce (Doi baigan)

Indians love yogurt based curries for their light tangy flavor. These curries are present in almost any region in India, from the north including the famed Punjabi dahi ki kadhi, to South Indian moru kuzhambus (Coming soon to this blog).

This is a delicate yogurt-based dish from Calcutta in the East. The soft and creamy eggplant are drenched in a mild yogurt sauce that is tangy and has a hint of spice from the chili powder. The bright orange color of the curry, from the turmeric and chili powders, make this dish a showpiece on the table. This is that side that will take your guests by surprise.

This is a wonderful cookbook from a star chef. The recipes are from all regions of India, and go from super simple to complex. every recipe that I have cooked has been amazing, I highly recommend this cookbook for those of us who want fabulous food on the table.

For more amazing recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

6-8 baby Japanese eggplants or any other baby eggplants

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

Olive oil spray

2 teaspoons ghee or oil

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt, to taste

1 1/2 cup yogurt, whisked smooth

Pre-heat an oven to 375 F.

Slit the eggplants in half leaving them joined at the base. Rub the eggplants with the turmeric and salt and spray with oil. Layer on a lined baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes till the eggplants are cooked and soft. Cooking times for other varieties may vary based on size.

Meanwhile in a wide pot or wok, heat the ghee on low heat. Add the cumin, chili, sugar and salt and fry for 10 seconds. Add the yogurt and mix in well. Cook on low heat continuously stirring so the yogurt does not split. Cook till the sauce slowly simmers and thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Never let the sauce boil, the curd will split and the sauce will be ruined.

Add the cooked soft eggplants and mix into the sauce. Simmer for an additional minute, take of the stove and let the eggplants sit in the sauce to absorb the flavors.

Serve hot garnished with cilantro.