Bagara baingan (Stuffed Egg Plants)

Ingredients:

1. Brinjals (small variety) - 1 lbs,
2. Tamarind (walnut-sized) - soaked in 1 cup water (extract pulp),
3. Garlic - 6 flakes garlic (chopped)
4. Ginger - 1"piece, onion (chopped fine)- 1,
5. Jeera & Methi seeds - 1 tsp,
6. Dhania - 2 tsp,
7. Til- 2 tsp,
8. Peanuts - 12,
9. Dry khopra - 2" piece (finely grinded),
10. Chilli powder - 2 tsp,
11. Haldi - ½ tsp,
12. Oil - 4-5 tbsp,
13. Few curry leaves,
14. Red chillies (broken) - 2,
15. Salt to taste.
16. Bay leaves 2

Method:

1.Roast the following in a few drops of oil and grind to a paste: til, peanuts, dry coconut, dhania, jeera, methi and chopped onion.
2.Grind the following: ginger, garlic, chilli powder and haldi. Mix both the pastes and add salt to taste. Set aside.
3.Slit brinjals in four keeping the stem intact, put them in salted water.
4.Deep fry the brinjals in oil till they are half cooked and cool them.
5.Stuff the brinjals with masala paste. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, broken red chillies, bay leaves and curry leaves. Fry a little before putting in the stuffed brinjals and tamarind water. Cook covered on slow heat till tender.
6.Can be served with bagara rice, jeera rice, roti, puri...