Baby eggplants stuffed with a delicious, tangy spice mix! Serve this really easy-to-cook dish with plain white rice and Lehsuni Daal (garlic-flavored yellow lentils).
Ingredients:

* 6 baby eggplants washed, stalk trimmed and partially slit into quarters
* 2 tsps coriander powder
* 1 tsp cumin powder
* 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
* 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
* 3 tbsps grated dessicated coconut
* 1 tsp very finely chopped garlic
* Small marble-sized lump of tamarind soaked in a small bowl of warm water
* 3/4 tsp black mustard seeds
* 6-8 curry leaves
* 2 dry red chillies
* Salt to taste
* 3-4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
* Chppoed fresh coriander to garnish

Preparation:

* Put the coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chilli powders, coconut and chopped garlic in a bowl and mix.
* Squeeze the tamarind that has been soaked in the warm water so as to remove all the pulp from it and into the water. Strain and throw away the pith.
* Add this tamarind pulp to the spice mix a little at a time to get a thick paste. Add salt to taste and mix well.
* Fill the slits in the eggplants with this spice paste. Keep aside.
* Heat the oil in a pan (on a medium flame) till hot. Now add the mustard seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves and cook till spluttering stops. Now add the eggplants and gently stir.
* Cook till the eggplants are done. Stir occasionally but do it gently so as to avoid knocking the filling out of the eggplants.
* Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve with plain white rice and Lehsuni Daal (garlic-flavored yellow lentils).