You need medium-sized egglants for this. I use the purple kind, 5 of them, each weighing about 5 ounces, and then cut them, unskinned, into 2” × 1” chunks, each chunk with skin on at least one side. Normally, eggplant chunks require frying first to give them their unctuous, satiny texture, after which they may be folded into a variety of sauces—here it is a tomato sauce. But I have found a less oily way around that; I broil them instead. You serve this dish hot with a lamb or chicken curry or cold, as a salad, with cold meats, Indian (such as Tandoori-Style Chicken with Mint) or Western.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4¿6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Turn on the broiler, arranging a shelf so it is 5–6 inches from the source of the heat. Spread the eggplant chunks in a baking tray. Sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toss and put under the broiler. Broil for about 15 minutes, tossing now and then, until all sides are lightly browned.
Step 2
Pour the remaining 3 tablespoons oil into a large sauté pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella, and chili. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, toss in the garlic. Stir a few times, until the garlic is golden, and then quickly put in the tomatoes, eggplants, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the sugar. Mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer gently about 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the eggplants are tender and smothered in the sauce.
