Eggplant, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Eggplant originated in south Asia, and it is not surprising that some of its most intriguing recipes come from this region.  The following dish, adapted from one presented by Yamuna Devi in her award-winning 1987 Lord Krishna's Cuisine, (ISBN 978-0525245643) is not only vegan but also typical of ayurvedic cooking which avoids the use of not only onion but also garlic.  In this way the following dish is quite different from the British Curry House style which we considered over a year ago in our first set of blog entries.  As Yamuna Devi points out, the following recipe is in some ways the ratatouille-equivalent of Northern India, being something that is made in almost every home to use the bounty of the late summer garden, with each cook having his/her own version.  

½ cup canola oil, in all
1½ pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh ginger paste
2 hot green chilies, deseeded and minced
2 teaspoons whole cumin seed
¼ teaspoon asafoetida resin
2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne papper
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ cup water
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 pound fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaf
1 teaspoon garam masala

Heat 1/3 cup oil in a large, heavy pan.  When hot add in the eggplant cubes and sauté until browned and cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and increase heat to medium-high.  When the oil is quite hot add in the ginger, chilies, and cumin and fry until the cumin seeds have turned brown.  Add in the asafoetida and stir fry for another 15 seconds.  Add in the tomatoes, coriander, paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and turmeric.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until the oil separates from the tomato sauce, about 10 minutes. 

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