Bagara Baingan

Ingredients:
1)  Peanuts – 1/2 cup
2)  Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
3)  Poppy seeds – 1 tbsp
4)  Cloves – 4
5)  Cinnamon – 1/2 inch long piece
6)  Ginger – 2 inch piece
7)  2 garlic pods (cloves)
8)  Grated  coconut – 1/2 cup
9)  Chilly powder – 1 tsp
10)  Turmeric – 1 tsp
11)  Small round eggplants – 8
12)  Tamarind – 1 small lemon size ball
13)  Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
14)  Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
15)  Green chillies – 5
16)  Curry leaves – 1 sprig
17)  Large onions – 2 ,  finely chopped
18)   Salt to taste
19)  Cilantro – 1 bunch , finely chopped
20)  Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp

Cooking Method:

Soak tamarind in hot water and take pulp out of it.
Roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon and garlic separately.
Grind them along with the coconut, chilly powder, turmeric,salt, ginger and garlic to a fine paste
Cut slits in the eggplants, making a cross on the top. Stuff them with the paste. Make sure you have 2-3 tablespoons of paste left over after stuffing
Heat some oil in a frying pan and pan fry stuffed eggplants turning sides without burning the skin.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds, jeera, green chillies, curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds start sputtering, add onions and saute until golden brown
Add the stuffed eggplants and saute
Add the remaining paste, a little water, the tamarind pulp and mix well
Cook for 20-25mins with the lid covered until you no longer can smell/taste raw peanuts, the eggplants are cooked thoroughly and the you have a good consistency gravy , without sticking eggplants to the pan.
sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves and enjoy

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