Tanaya's "Baingan ki Sabzi"

I behave like a moonstruck, every time I go to "Little India"!! I feel just irresistible to buy fresh "deshi" things, like fresh "Indian" (like drumstick or pointed gourd etc.) vegetables or paneer and many such things. The other day I bought lots of baby eggplant and was wondering what to do with them. I wanted to make something to sever with roti. And then got this recipe from a lovely friend Tanaya. Thanks to Tanaya for this beautiful and simple recipe.

Ingredients for "Baingan ki Sabzi":

1. Baby eggplant 8-10 (cut eggplants lengthwise till below their stem. but do not separate)
2. Potato 1 large (cut into large cubes)
3. Onion 1 medium (cut into thin slices)
4. Tomato 1 medium (finely chopped)
5. Ginger paste 1 tea spoon (I added a chilli with ginger)
6. Garlic paste 1 tea spoon
7. Whole cumin 1 tea spoon
8. Cumin powder 1 tea spoon
9. Turmeric powder 
10. Chilli powder 
11. Garam masala powder 1/4 tea spoon
12. Salt and Sugar according to your taste
13. Vegetable oil for cooking

How to prepare "Baingan ki Sabzi":

• Wash potato and eggplants. Marinate with salt and turmeric powder. Leave it for 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a wok. Fry potato and eggplant separately. Strain them and keep aside. Tanaya didn't fry potato and eggplant separately. She directly added potato while frying spices. And added eggplant after a while. But I fried eggplants as, I was using whole baby eggplant. 
• Reduce the oil to 2 table spoon. Sprinkle cumin seed. Let them splutter. Add onion slices and for until pink and soft with brown edges. Then add ginger-garlic paste. Cook over medium heat till oil separates from spices. 
• Add cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder. Fry for a minute and add fried potatoes. Cook covered over low heat till potatoes are almost cooked. Add tomato and cook over high heat for a minute. And turn down the heat. Cook till tomato is not smelling raw. Add little water (I added 1/2 cup). Add salt and sugar according to your taste. Bring it to shimmer.
• Cook covered for another 2 minutes. Add eggplants. Cook for more 2 minutes. Add garam masala and check the seasoning before you turn off the heat.
• I served "baingan ki sabzi" with plain roti and a piece of kaccha pyaz.

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