Baigan Bharta

Ingredients

1 eggplant
2 tb veg oil
3 serrano chiles
1/4 compound asafetida
1/8 pure
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 corriander
1 ts salt
2 tb cilantro
5/8 c nonfat yogurt
2 tsp garam masala

Instructions

Someone on r.f.v.c requested a recipe for Baigan Bharta yesterday; here is one from Yamuna Devi's "The Best of Lord Krishna's Cuisine", slightly tweaked, that I make a lot. (also posted on r.f.v.c.) Bake the eggplant 40 minutes at 425F on a baking sheet. Split it and scoop out the pulp; discard the skin. (Some people roast the eggplant over charcoal for a nice flavor). Heat the ghee on medium; add cumin seeds, serranos, and asafetida. Cook until the cumin seeds darken. Add the eggplant, salt, and corriander; cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occassionally. When it thickens, remove from the heat, add the yogurt, cilantro, and garam masala, and serve. (The yogurt might curdle; to prevent that, let the eggplant cool first, then add the yogurt etc, then briefly reheat.)