My husband has been transferred once again. This time to Agra. In true military fashion, there are no homes available for immediate occupation. We stay with a close friend and fellow officer and his wife. They have graciously allowed us to stay with them until we are allotted temporary accommodation. This was a recipe that I learned when we were with them. Thank you, Madhu!

About Agra—the city of the Taj Mahal! When I first saw it, I wasn’t that impressed as I had been fortunate to have seen so many beautiful structures all over India, old or older. And then, one moonlight night, we went to see it and suddenly its beauty and majesty sprang to light. I guess my daytime visits with teeming crowds and vendors detracted from it.

Years later, our family was able to revisit it and spend more time soaking up the intricacies of its amazing architecture and design.

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Masala Baingan (Sautéed Spicy Eggplant)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

A delicious, nutritious way to enjoy eggplant!

Ingredients

• 2 large long eggplants (or large oblong one. Wash and dice into one-inch cubes, unpeeled.)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (chopped, skin removed)
• ½ large onion (semi-finely diced)
• 2 large tomatoes (diced)
• ½ tsp tumeric powder
• chili powder (to taste or 1 green Serrano chili, finely diced)
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• salt (to taste)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely diced, for garnish

Instructions 

• Heat oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat. Add chopped ginger and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add onions and sauté for another 4 minutes until soft and starting to turn brown at the edges.
• Now add the spice powders and stir for 30 seconds to stir-fry the masala.
• Add the chopped eggplant. Stir a few times to mix the masala and the eggplant, then add the tomatoes.
• Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the eggplants are tender. Uncover and cook on semi-low until the moisture evaporates and the oil starts to separate. Approximately 10-15 minutes.
• Be sure to stir a few times while cooking so your eggplant does not stick to the pan and burn. The eggplant should be soft, but not mushy.
• Add half the cilantro and stir to mix it in. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the cilantro.

Notes

In an Indian meal, vegetables are usually served with dal or a meat/poultry dish or both. You can have them with roti or rice. I just use them in a wrap sometimes when I want a light meal or  not feel like cooking a full meal!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: vegetable, vegetarian

-Taj Mahal Photo by AussieActive on Unsplash