Eggplant Bhaji with Besan Flour

Ingredients:

For oil tempering - peanut oil, black mustard seeds, turmeric, hing powder
Tender eggplant - 1 cup - cut into pieces about 1.5" - 2" size.
Besan flour - 3-4 Tb - sieve it so it has no lumps
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or to your taste)
Salt to taste.
Chopped cilantro leaves - 2-3 Tb

Recipe:

Cut eggplant into smaller pieces and soak them in salted (1/2 tsp salt) water for 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse. This will remove bitterness from the eggplants.
Heat pan and add 3-4 tsp peanut oil (will need more oil as eggplant absorbs oil).
Prepare oil tempering and add eggplant pieces. Stir well.
Add salt. Let the eggplant get cooked on medium high heat stirring occasionally (sprinkle water if necessary).
When eggplant is cooked, add chili powder and besan flour and mix well. Let the besan coat eggplant.
Turn heat to medium low and cook for 2-3 minutes until besan gets cooked.
Keep stirring as besan can burn easily.
Remove it to a serving dish and sprinkle with cilantro.
Serve as a side dish with Indian bread, or rice.

Notes:

1) Adding hing powder is essential as eggplants and besan create gas.
2) You can add 1/2 tsp cumin powder after you add chili powder as a variation.
3) You can leave besan flour out and add 1/2 tsp black masala as a variation.
4) Use this recipe for spring onions, bell peppers, any chopped leafy vegetable like spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, collard greens, cabbage, zuccini and so on.
5) I prefer to use Japanese eggplants as they are tender and have fewer seeds.