Aubergine cooked with crushed mustard seeds and yogurt
- 450 - 675 g aubergine
- 1 1/2 tbs whole black mustard seeds
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 7 tbs mustard oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tbs panchphoran
(cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, kalonji)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 250 g yogurt
- 2 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground cardamom seeds
Dice the aubergine into 2 1/2 cm cubes. Grind the mustard seeds
lightly in a coffee grinder and the empty into a bowl. Add the cayenne
and 1/4 l water. Mix and set aside. Heat the oil in a 30-cm frying or
sauté pan over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the
panchphoran. Stir the spices once. Immediately put in the mustard-seed
mixture, the cubed aubergine, and 1 tsp salt. Keep stirring and
cooking over a medium-high flame until most of the liquid is
absorbed. Add another 1/4 l of water, cover, and turn heat to
low. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until aubergine pieces are
quite tender. Removed cover and turn up heat to boil off about half
the liquid. [I use less water]
Just before serving, beat the yogurt and 1/2 tsp of salt with a fork
until it becomes a smooth paste and pour the yogurt over the
aubergine. Heat through but do not bring to the boil. Sprinkle black
pepper and ground cardamom over the aubergine, stir, and serve at
once.
Serves 4.