Jowar Roti with Bagara Baingan

Ingredients

• 250 g Baby Eggplants (About 8-10 pieces)
• 3 tbsp Peanuts (Raw, unsalted)
• 2 tbsp Sesame Seeds (White)
• 2 tbsp Dry Coconut (Grated or desiccated)
• 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil (For frying and gravy)
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 10 leaves Curry Leaves
• 1 medium Onion (Finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
• 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1.5 tsp Red Chili Powder (Adjust to taste)
• 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tbsp Tamarind Paste
• 1 tsp Jaggery Powder (Or grated jaggery)
• 1.25 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 1.5 cup Water (Warm)
• 0.5 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Freshly chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry Roast & Make Masala Paste

   • In a dry pan over low heat, separately roast the peanuts until lightly browned and aromatic, then the sesame seeds until they pop, and finally the dry coconut until golden. This takes about 5-7 minutes in total.
   • Allow all roasted ingredients to cool completely to room temperature.
   • Transfer the cooled ingredients to a blender and grind into a fine powder.
   • Add 1/4 cup of water to the powder and blend again to form a smooth, thick paste. Set aside.
2. 2

   Prepare & Fry Eggplants

   • Wash the baby eggplants and pat them dry. Make a '+' shaped slit from the bottom, going about three-quarters of the way up, keeping the stem intact.
   • Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan (kadai) over medium heat.
   • Carefully place the eggplants in the hot oil and shallow fry them, turning occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the skin is wrinkled and they are about 80% cooked.
   • Remove the fried eggplants with a slotted spoon and set them aside. There should be about 2 tablespoons of oil remaining in the pan.
3. 3