Baingan Bharta

Ingredients

• 2 large globe eggplants
• 3 tbsp mustard oil or ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• Handful cilantro, chopped

Method

1. Rub the eggplants with a little oil, pierce them twice, and blacken them directly over a gas flame or on a hot grill, turning often, until the skin is papery and the whole thing sags, 15 minutes. Cool in a covered bowl.
2. Peel off the skin — it should slip away — and chop the smoky flesh roughly. Don't rinse it, or you'll wash off the reason you did all that.
3. Heat the oil, pop the cumin seeds, then cook the onions until deep golden, 8 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chilies and fry 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes, coriander, turmeric, and salt, and cook until jammy and the oil separates, 8 minutes.
5. Fold in the eggplant and mash it into the masala, cooking 6 minutes more until thick. Finish with garam masala and cilantro, and eat with hot roti.