Name: Eggplants with Sweet Spice Masala
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: Indian - Maharashtrian
Ingredients: 1 Large Eggplant Cut into thick slices; Salt as seasoning; Few Tbsp oil for Grilling and baking; 1 Tbsp roasted peanuts chopped fine; 1 Tbsp oil (peanut oil works great for flavor as well); 1 Tsp Tamarind Jaggery Syrup (Tamarind with equal parts jaggery and some water heated till jaggery melts); 1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro; For the spice mix:; 2 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 green cardamom; 1 black cardamom; 1 star anise; half inch piece of cinnamon; 2 tsp dried grated coconut (with brown skin on is preferred but not mandatory); 2 tsp white sesame seeds; 0.5 tsp nigella / black cumin; 1 tsp white poppy seeds; 1 small piece bay leaf; 2 cloves; 1 pinch turmeric; 1 pinch asafoetida (optional)

Ingredients

Scale

1 Large Eggplant Cut into thick slices
Salt as seasoning
Few Tbsp oil for Grilling and baking
1 Tbsp roasted peanuts chopped fine
1 Tbsp oil (peanut oil works great for flavor as well)
1 Tsp Tamarind Jaggery Syrup (Tamarind with equal parts jaggery and some water heated till jaggery melts)
1 Tbsp Chopped cilantro
For the spice mix:
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
1 star anise
half inch piece of cinnamon
2 tsp dried grated coconut (with brown skin on is preferred but not mandatory)
2 tsp white sesame seeds
0.5 tsp nigella / black cumin
1 tsp white poppy seeds
1 small piece bay leaf
2 cloves
1 pinch turmeric
1 pinch asafoetida (optional)

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Instructions

For the spice mix:
Roast individually following in a dry pan and set aside: dried Coconut till toasty brown, sesame seeds till brown, coriander and cumin seeds till aromatic, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise
Mix roasted ingredients with remianing ingredients and let cool down
Grind coarsely in a spice or coffee grinder
Slice eggplants into 0.25 to 0.5 inch thick roundels
Salt them each on both sides by sprinkling salt over them
Put a clean kitchen towel or paper towel over a baking sheet and place the salted slices on them, weigh down with other pan and some weights like canned food
After half hour pat the eggplant slices dry and wipe them with a fresh towel
Brush them with oil on both sides and back in a 350 F pre-heated oven for 30 minutes
Meanwhile heat the 1Tbsp oil over low heat and add the peanut powder and 2 tsp of the ground spice mix. Let it heat slowly till it gets aromatic and the peanut powder starts to get toasty. do not let it burn at any point and take it off the heat when ready.
Heat a big pan for grilling on medium heat. Brush the eggplant slices with the spice oil with oil that floats. Grill eggplant slices evenly on both sides till crisp and golden. Brush with additional plain oil if needed.
Take them out into a dish when down and brush with remaining masala oil and peanut mix. Garnish with cilantro.
Serve immediately on their own as an appetizer or with chapati. They surprisingly taste really good as well as cold appetizers next day out of the refrigerator!

Prep Time: 60 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Cuisine: Indian - Maharashtrian