Oven-Baked Eggplant Curry

What makes this South Indian Eggplant Curry recipe special is that the curry is cooked in the oven instead of the pan.

Ingredients:

For eggplants:

2 teaspoons of oil
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala spice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 large eggplant, diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 chopped cloves of garlic
1 cm ginger, finely chopped

For the sauce:

1 teaspoon of oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
12 curry leaves, fresh or frozen or dried
200 g of tomato puree
2 cups of coconut milk
1/4 cup split red lentils
1/4 teaspoon of salt
cilantro and lemon juice (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Add oil to the frying pan, add all the spices and salt and mix well. You can add a few teaspoons of water if the spices "stick" too much.
2. Then add eggplant, onion, garlic, ginger and mix well. Keep in mind that the eggplant will shrink and shrink.
3. Bake at 200 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the mustard and fenugreek seeds and fry until the seeds start to pop or change colour. Then add the curry leaves and immediately remove from the heat. Be careful when adding the curry leaves as the heat will cause them to pop. Set aside.
5. Remove the baking dish from the oven, then add tomato puree, coconut milk, lentils, salt and mix. Add the roasted seeds and mix lightly.
6. Then return the dish to the oven. Cover with baking paper and continue to bake for 25 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and the sauce has thickened.
7. If the sauce has thickened too much, you can gradually add about 1/2 cup of warm vegan milk and stir. Taste and add more salt and spices if needed. Mix it up.
8. Remove the dish from the oven and let it stand for a few minutes. Then garnish with cilantro, lemon juice and serve with rice or flatbread.
9. If you want to serve this as a soup, you can add some vegan milk while the curry is still hot. Serve with garlic bread. Delicious!
Yield: 4 servings
Recipe: veganricha.com