Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep
- Rinse the eggplants by running them under cold water and wiping dry with a paper towel. Cut the eggplant body in half lengthwise/vertically. Further, cut each eggplant to two more half’s. So each eggplant will have 4 pieces. 16 pieces in all for 4 eggplants.
- Rinse and peel the potatoes. Chop them to 4 to 5 long wedges for each potato depending on the size of the potato. For this recipe, traditionally both the egg plants and potatoes need to be deep fried. However, you can shallow fry, air fry them or sauté them until the eggplants are slight cooked and firm and the potatoes are cooked as well. Make sure they are not mushy and their shape is still intact. I have deep fried them here since I made it traditionally. Once fried set them aside.
- Whisk 3/4 cup yogurt at room temperature with 1/2 tsp wheat flour or rice flour. Wheat or rice flour prevents the yogurt from cuddling. Set aside.
Cook
- In a heavy bottom pot on medium heat add oil. Second, add in cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, and asafoetida. Stir. Third, once the cumin seeds splutter, add in Kashmiri red chili powder and 1/4 cup water. Stir well.
- Add in ground turmeric, ground fennel, ground cumin, ground ginger, and stir well. Further, add in 1/2 cup water to prevent the spices from getting burnt. Then add in salt and stir.
- Add in the fried potatoes and stir. Next add in the yogurt and mix well. Keep stirring until the yogurt comes to a boil. Stirring is key to prevent the yogurt from curdling. Next add in 2 cups water and stir.
- Cover and cook on medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the spices penetrate the potatoes. Further, add in the fried eggplants and stir gently without breaking the potatoes or eggplants. Further, cover again and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes until some liquid and spices are absorbed by the eggplants and potatoes. Finally, add in garam masala, stir and turn off heat.