An eggplant-and-tomato curry is nothing unique and several versions are cooked by different people across India. In fact, one of my friends uses this particular recipe to cook hers without having a clue that it belongs to Kashmir. So, I can’t say for sure that it’s actually from Kashmir. I’m simply going by what I was told by my houseboat keeper because that is where I had this dish and learned the recipe.
What impressed me about the dish is its simplicity. It’s easy to cook; no complications are involved. The taste is hot and tangy, which goes well with both bread and rice, though the Kashmiris—very much like us Bengalis and unlike most north-Indian communities—prefer rice to roti or wheat in any other form.
The version of this curry I had was terribly hot. So was the chicken cooked by my driver Tanveer which I had at Mulbekh. He told me that he had “not put enough chili powder since I would be eating it too”! I could only wonder with some trepidation what their regular version was like. I can’t say if all of Kashmir eats such hot food. The roadside rista (meatballs in gravy) had not been so hot.
So, I leave the decision on the amount of chili powder to you. Here’s the recipe.
Ingredients (Serves four):
- Two medium-sized eggplants (brinjal/aubergine): Cut lengthwise into four with the stalk intact.
- Six medium- to small-sized tomatoes: Cut into small pieces or pureed.
- Turmeric powder:½ teaspoon
- Red chili powder:¾teaspoon (or according to your stomach for hotness)
- Salt: To taste
- Mustard oil: Enough to fry the eggplant pieces
Method:
- Take a broad flat-bottomed pan, preferably non-stick ware. This would help you fry the eggplant pieces at one go with little oil. Heat mustard oil, spreading it across the pan. Place the eggplant pieces one by one in it.
- Fry the eggplant pieces well. Keep the heat low and cover the pan, but check the pieces from time to time and turn over each side by turn. Make sure that the pieces become tender, but also make sure that they remain whole and do not turn into a pulp. Keeping the stalk intact helps keep the pieces intact to a large extent.
- Once the eggplant is fried, remove the pieces from the pan. If the oil is completely gone, add some more, just enough to sauté the tomatoes and spices.
- Add the turmeric powder and chili powder in the oil first. Sauté for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato pieces, or puree if you dislike the idea of tomato peels in your mouth.
- Sauté the tomatoes well until their water is gone completely and it’s got the ‘fried’ look.
- Add enough water to cover the eggplant pieces, which you would be putting in next. Add salt.
- Place the fried eggplant pieces in the pan, side by side, making sure the water covers them well. Cook until the water turns into gravy. Now how much of the gravy you keep is up to you. The version I had in Kashmir was quite soupy. Personally I like a thicker gravy. Just remember to add the salt accordingly. When it’s done, the eggplant pieces should be intact.
- Serve hot with rice or roti.