Eggplant With Yogurt (Brinjal Pachchadi)

Eggplant or Brinjal or Aubergine - call it whatever, I love it more and more every time I have it. This is a very easy dish that goes well with rice or chappaties. 

The star of this dish is not just the eggplant - it is the tempering that is kind of like the salad dressing that goes on top of the eggplant.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant cut into thick fingers
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste.
Oil for shallow frying

Smear the eggplant with the spice mix and keep aside for 15 minutes.

Shallow fry in oil and place on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.

For Tempering:

2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cummin seeds
3-4 grains of fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon of urid dal
1 sprig curry leaves
1-2 dry red chilli
1 cup yogurt, whisked well and salted.

Method: 

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil, and when it heats up add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds crackle, add rest of the ingredients except yogurt.

Mix well till the urid dal changes colour to gold.

Pour tempering into the yogurt.  Whisk yogurt.

To Assemble:

Place fried eggplant in a serving dish. Pour the tempered yogurt on top. Serve immediately with rice or chappaties.