Eggplant - Chana dal Bhaji (DaL Wange)

Ingredients:

Eggplants - small egg size - 8 to 10 - cut into half - soak in water to remove bitterness.

Chana dal - wash and soak 1/4 cup for 2 hours

Onion - 1 memdium - chopped
Tomato - 1 medium - chopped

Garlic - 5-6 large cloves

Dry grated coconut - 4 Tb -  dry roasted until lightly brown

Poppy seeds - 1 Tb - dryroasted until. Lightly brown

Cilantro - handful or 4 Tb chopped

Curry leaves - 8-10 

Onion-garlic masala - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Peanut oil - 2 tsp for onions and 2 Tb for tempering

Recipe:

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and add chopped onions.

Saute onions until Lightly brown. Add tomato and cook it well.

Blend coconut, ppoppy seeds, cilantro, garlic cloves and cooked onion - tomato and 1/4 cup water in a blender to a smooth paste.

Heat the pan again and add 2 Tb oil.

Prepare oil tempering with black mustard seeds and turmeric powder and curry leaves.

Add chana dal and saute for a minute.

Remove eggplants from the water (discard water) and add to the pan. 

Add 1 cup water and salt to taste and cover the pan and let the dal and eggplant cook on a medium heat.
When the eggplants are tender, add blended wet masala and onion-garlic masala.
Stir well and cover the pan and let it cook for 2 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook until the gravy gets as thick as you want.
Keep stirring as coconut can settle on the bottom of the pan and Burn.

Notes:

1) You can use small potatoes instead of eggplants.

2) This style of cooking eggplants is kind of rustic and should be hot to taste.

3) You can add handful of roasted peanuts while blending wet masala as a variation.

4) You can add 2 Tb roasted sesame seeds while blending wet masala as a variation.