Description[]
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients[]
- 1.00 1/2-inch-round ball tamarind
- 0.25 c -Boiling water
- 1.00 lb Thin, long Eggplant
- 3.00 tb Light vegetable oil
- 1.50 ts Minced garlic
- 2.00 ts Ground coriander
- 0.25 ts Ground cinnamon
- 0.13 ts Ground cloves
- 0.50 c Packed flaked coconut -- fresh or canned, -- unsweetened
- 1.00 ts cayenne pepper (or more)
- 0.50 ts coarse salt; or to taste
- 2.00 tb Unsulphured molasses -OR- brown sugar
- 0.50 ts black mustard seeds --GINGER-tamarind SAUCE---
- -tamarind residue from above
- 0.50 c -Boiling water
- 0.50 ts cornstarch
- 1.00 tb Shredded fresh ginger
Directions[]
- Put the tamarind in a nonmetallic bowl. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and let it soak for 30 minutes.
- Mash the pulp and extract as much juice from it as possible.
- Pour all liquid into a bowl, and save the fibrous residue for making the sauce.
- Slit the Eggplants lengthwise to within 3/4 inch of the stem end so that each Eggplant remains in one piece.
- Measure out the spices and place them right next to the stove in separate piles.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the coriander, cinnamon, and cloves; fry for 15 more seconds.
- Stir in the coconut and cayenne pepper; continue frying, stirring, until lightly toasted (about 2 minutes).
- Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, tamarind liquid, and molasses, and mix well.
- Stuff the Eggplants with the spicy coconut mixture. Secure them by wrapping thread around them.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat.
- When it is hot, add mustard seeds. Keep a pot lid handy, as the seeds may spatter and fly all over.
- When the seeds stop spattering, add the Eggplants in one layer.
- Fry the Eggplants, turning them often, for 3 or 4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium or medium low and cook them, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are soft and cooked through. Turn off heat.
- Transfer them to a serving platter, pour Ginger-tamarind sauce over them, and serve immediately.
Ginger-tamarind sauce:
- Put tamarind residue in a nonmetallic bowl, add 1/2 cup boiling water, and let soak for 30 minutes.
- Mash the residue and extract as much tamarind essence as possible, squeezing it hard, into a bowl.
- Discard the fibrous residue.
- Put tamarind water in a nonmetallic pan along with cornstarch, mix well and bring to a boil.
- Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in ginger shreds.
- Note: For a hotter flavor, stir 4 chopped hot green chilies into sauce.