Name: Clove-infused stuffed aubergines
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: wedges of lime, to garnish; sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish; rice and/or Phulkas and a lentil dish, to serve; 1 cm/½ in piece of cinnamon stick; 4 cloves; 1 fresh tomato; 5 ml/1 tsp ground coriander; 2.5 ml/½ tsp chilli powder; 2.5 ml/½ tsp garam masala; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cumin; 1–2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped (deseeded if preferred); 10 ml/2 tsp ginger purée; 5 ml/1 tsp ground turmeric; 5 ml/1 tsp salt, or to taste; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 400 g/14 oz small, slim aubergines (eggplants); 60 ml/4 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook

By Mridula Baljekar

Published 2017

About

Small, slim aubergines are used to make this traditional dish, Baingan Ke Lonj. The aubergines are sliced along most of their length, leaving them joined at the top, and these cavities are stuffed with a spicy onion paste tempered with clove and cinnamon. The aubergines are then tied shut and gently simmered in an onion sauce. This dish goes well with rice, bread or lentils.