Speedy Brinjal Curry

Last weekend, my Fernando cousins came to dinner with their families and friends, and I had this idea of making an eggplant dish which looked really attractive (in photographs). But when you got right down to the details, the eggplant had to be fried just before serving.

Since my mother is the only one who somehow manages to still be cooking after guests have arrived, I opted for a less-toilsome dish where everything is thrown into a pot and done in minutes. It’s just the list of ingredients that’s a bit long. Called ‘Brinjal Curried’ its from my fave book 'Ceylon Cookery' by Chandra Dissanayake.

What you need:

*500g brinjals/eggplants/aubergines

* 2 teaspoons chilli powder

* 1 teaspoon cumin powder

* ½ turmeric powder

* 1-inch/2cm piece rampe/pandan leaves (the Sri Lankan shop in Pakenham sells frozen pandan leaves) Omit if you can’t find. The curry will still taste good.

* 2 teaspoons salt

* 4 teaspoons lime juice

* ¼ cup coconut cream

* 1 medium onion (red onion)

* 1 teaspoon coriander powder

* ½ teaspoon sweet cumin powder

* 1 sprig curry leaves

* ½ inch/1 cm cinnamon stick

* 2 teaspoons finely ground mustard powder

* 6 dessertspoons oil (or about 4 tablespoons)

What to do:

Cube eggplants. Slice onions.

Sweet Cumin also sold as Fennel in Asian stores. 

Heat oil in pan. When hot, add curry leaves and onions. When onions have softened/browned at the edges (your choice), add brinjals and spices. Fry until eggplant is cooked. Add coconut milk and mustard powder. Take off fire after few minutes.