Ingredients
½ cup chana dal
2 ½ cups water
Wash and soak chana dal for two hours in1 cup water.
Wash chana dal with fresh water and cook with 1 ½ cups water in a 2- quart saucepan pan for eight minutes on medium heat. Drain and keep dal aside.
Spices
¼ cup chana dal
¼ cup urad dal
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ cup coriander seeds
4 red dry chilies
2 garlic cloves (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
Tamarind (size of a marble)
In a dry pan, roast chana dal until light brown on medium low heat. Add urad dal, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and red chilies and fry until urad dal becomes light brown. Transfer spices into a plate to cool.
Blend spices in a blender with garlic, (if using) tamarind and salt.
2 tablespoons oil
6 Indian eggplants
½ cup chopped onions
2 long green chilies cut into four pieces
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ cup shredded coconut
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander (optional)
1 tablespoon shredded fresh coconut (optional)
Method: Cut eggplants into four pieces length wise and wash.
In a large frying pan heat oil on medium heat and add eggplant pieces, onions, green chilies, salt and turmeric. Fry until eggplants are half cooked with cover. Add coconut, red chili powder, cooked chana dal and spice powder. Reduce the heat to low and fry eggplant chana dal curry gently to keep the eggplant pieces intact.
Transfer the curry into a serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and coconut.
Tastes great with rice or chapatis.
Makes 6 servings.