Eggplant in Curried Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt, just a few sprinkles on the slices
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- for the sauce
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened dairy-free yogurt (i used followyourheart plain)
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup water
- for the tempering
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 serrano pepper, slit lengthwise
- 1 small piece of ginger, grated
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- a few curry leaves (optional)
- 1 dried red chili
Preparation
Mix the ground spices with a tbsp of water in a large size bowl
To this, add sliced eggplant, sprinkle some salt & toss the slices
Set aside
Heat a non stick pan, preferably a cast iron one
Gently place the eggplant slices on it, making sure not to overcrowd the pan
You can do this in batches if your pan is small
This step (about 15 min) is to cook & crisp up the two sides of the slices
Once they turn crisp, transfer them to a dry plate & set aside
Sauce ?
Place yogurt in a medium saucepan, add 1/2 cup water, some salt & whisk until you get a soupy consistency
If too thick, add some water & whisk again
Bring to a gentle simmer & turn heat off once you see tiny bubbles appearing around the edge
Make sure you stir constantly during this step to ensure the yogurt does not curdle
Tempering ?
In a small skillet, heat coconut oil, add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, serrano & curry leaves for a minute
Add turmeric, stir once & pour this over the yogurt sauce & stir to combine
Add eggplant to the sauce, stir until combined & serve
