Recipe- Make Your Lunch Amazing With Khatte Meethe Baingan

Khatte Meethe Baingan aka sour and sweet eggplants! If you love eggplants as much as I do are always looking for new ways to enjoy them, then give these a try.

Baby eggplants are cooked with some pickling spices like fennel, nigella and tossed in a sweet and sour curry based made with tamarind and jaggery.Last time I got baby eggplants, I made this Dahi Baingan which you guys absolutely loved. Thanks so much for making the recipes that I post and then sharing them with me on social media, it truly means a lot.

This time around when I had some baby eggplants, I thought of giving them a twist and made these Khatte Meethe Baingan.

Ingredients

8-9 baby eggplants around 460 grams, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons oil 30 ml, I used avocado oil
1 inch ginger
3-4 large garlic cloves
1 green chili
1/3 cup water 80 ml
2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
4 teaspoons jaggery
1.5 tablespoons mustard oil 22 ml, or use any oil of choice
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon kalonji nigella seeds
2 whole dried red chilies
1/4 teaspoon hing asafoetida, skip to make gluten-free
2 medium tomatoes 240 grams, chopped
2 tablespoons water 30 ml
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
cilantro to garnish

Method

* Cut each baby eggplant lengthwise in 2 parts and then cut each half further in 2 to 3 pieces, around 1-inch each.

* Heat 2 tablespoons of oil (I used avocado oil here) in a wok on medium heat. Once hot add the eggplants pieces into the pan.

* Fry for 7 to 8 minutes on medium heat until eggplant is cooked and light brown, it should not be very mushy though. Remove on a plate.

* Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle, crush ginger, garlic and green chili and set aside.

* To make jaggery-tamarind water, to a small pan add 1/3 cup cup water, 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate and 4 teaspoons jaggery.

* Let it come to a boil, once it starts boiling , then let it boil for 4 minutes on medium heat till it slightly thickens. Do not thicken it like a chutney but the it should thicken slightly. Set aside.

* Now to the same wok, add 1.5 tablespoons mustard oil on medium-high heat. Heat the mustard oil really well and then add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, kalonji and let them sizzle.

* Add red chilies and hing and saute few seconds.

* Add crushed ginger-garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes until ginger-garlic starts changing color.

* Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.

* Add the tamarind and jaggery concentrate and mix well. Also add 2 tablespoons water and cook for 1 minute

* Then add spices- coriander, turmeric , kashmiri red chili and salt. Mix well and cook the spices for 1 minute.

* Add in the pan fried eggplants and mix. Cook for around 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat until all flavors all well combined.

* Then add the chopped cilantro and mix. Garnish with more cilantro and serve hot.