Eggplant Palya/Curry

Remember my post on Cumin Onion Bread Sticks? We were served with a side dish made of eggplant at that gathering. The hostess called it palya and I asked her the ingredients. She told me the main ingredients and I made my own version of it. This really goes very well with rotis, chapathis and rice too.
If you like eggplants and are on a look out for different recipes that use eggplants, check out these recipes in the archive. Eggplant Curry in Onion Coconut Sauce, Eggplant in Yogurt sauce, Penne with Eggplant in spicy tomato sauce.

Ingredients:
Eggplant - medium 2 cut into chunks
Red Onion - medium 1 chopped into medium chunks
Garlic - 2 pods crushed
Sesame seeds - 2 TBSP (I used white)
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup grated
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - a big pinch
Green Chillies - 10 or more to taste (This was moderately spicy)
Tamarind - lemon size soaked in some warm water and juice extracted
Oil - 3 TBSP divided use
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Jaggery - 3 TBSP (Or use brown sugar instead)

Method:
In a skillet, dry roast peanuts. When they are almost done, add sesame seeds. Let them toast for a minute. Set aside. In the same skillet, add 1 TBSP of oil. When hot, add garlic, green chillies, chopped onions. Add turmeric, little bit of salt and let it cook. When the onions are translucent, set them aside to cool. To the same pan, add 2 TBSP of oil and when hot, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add curry leaves and cut eggplant cubes. Sprinkle some salt and let it soften a little. Add some water to cook the eggplants and cover with the lid. Meanwhile grind the toasted sesame seeds, peanuts with onion mixture and coconut into a smooth paste. If you need water, add the tamarind juice. When the eggplants are cooked through but not mushy, add the ground paste and let them simmer. Add the remaining tamarind juice if any, jaggery or brown sugar and let it come to a boil. Adjust the consistency by adding more water if necessary. Adjust the salt if needed and turn off the heat. Serve hot or warm with rotis, chapathis or plain rice.

Notes:
This can be made with other vegetables like pumpkin, squash, and even tomatoes.

Enjoy!! Pin It