I went to the farmers market yesterday and I found these wonderful baby eggplants.I knew I had to do something with them they were too cute to pass up! so I remembered a recipe that I had made a few years ago called maharashtrian stuffed eggplants. As many of you will come to find out my husband is Indian and so he loves it anytime I want to cook Indian food. I have come to have a new appreciation for Indian food with all the wonderful exotic spices and smells that come out of your kitchen, when you’re cooking it’s like a feast for the senses before you even take the first bite! This is a recipe that comes from the state of India called Maharashtra in which Bombay or now we say Mumbai is located.  I tend to tone down the recipies a bit, but you can spice up or down depending on your tastes!

Maharashtrian stuffed baby eggplants

Serves 2 with rice:

2 onions

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp amchur powder (pomegranate- find at ethnic/indian grocery)

3tbs shredded coconut- unsweet if you can find it, or if you use sweetened skip the sugar

2 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp garem masala powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp brown sugar

1tsp red hot chili powder- can substitute cayenne. Add to taste depending on how hot you like it!

3 large garlic cloves.

Dash of salt or to taste- I try to use less salt these days, but sometimes you need a little at least to really bring out the flavors.

Toss all the ingredients in a blender with some water and chop roughly.

Take 6 baby eggplants and slice them from stem to end down the middle. Then rotate them again 1/4 way and slice again. Now you have made it into quarters, but they are attached at the top by the stem.

Divide half the mixture from the blender and stuff the eggplants with it.

Heat up a large sauté pan with 1tbs oil over medium heat, once it’s warm, toss in a cumin seed. If it dances around in the pan, the oil is hot enough!

Add:

1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp black mustard seeds

Pinch of hing or asafetida powder

Let the seeds crack and the mustard seeds pop.  Then add the other half of the onion mix and cook until onions become translucent.  Add stuffed baby eggplants, and cover and cook for 5 min, turn eggplants over, and add 1/2 cup warm water.  Cover and cook for another 20-25 min on med low to low heat until the eggplants are soft.

* ps- add more water as needed, it can dry out quickly. You can keep adding water if you like it with a little more gravy or “curry”, or let it dry a bit but not burn.  I personally like a little more curry (gravy) to soak into the rice a bit

Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro for a low fat and healthy yummy lunch!

Let me know what you think!