Ennai kathrikai /Eggplant in Oil

A lot of people either love eggplants/aubergine or hate them, while it is a very commonly used vegetable in many cuisines, somehow people end up making their minds either way. I should confess that not far back in the past I belonged to the later group. It is surprising how our palate changes with the years, how dark or green colored veggies no longer make you run. I can't count the number of excuses I have made to get away without consuming these beauties. Well times change and so did my, lets say, aversion. Today, I would be the first person to try out a dish that includes eggplants.
So, this is one dish you can try if you are trying out Eggplants and you like medium to spicy food. This will be an instant hit to those who already love eggplants in any form. The method for Ennai Kathrikai various from place to place in South India, there is gravy version (kuzhambu), a drier gravy version, a poriyal (stir fry) version, each has a very distinct taste and feel, but include the same main ingredients. Today I am presenting the drier version of the dish, this extremely flavorful recipe is perfect as a side for rice/ biryani. It is surprising how complex flavor belies the simplicity and easy of making of this dish.

Ingredients:

Indian Eggplant/ aubergine - 12 , small rounds ones that you can get in Indian stores.

Red Onion - 1 cup chopped

Whole Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp

Red Chili powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Sesame seed Oil/ Gingelly Oil - 2 tbsp

Wash and cut crosswise the small aubergines bottom up leaving it still attached to the stem. Cut the tall length of the stem to closer to the head of the eggplant. Place these in a bowl full of water. Make a medium smooth paste of the the rest of the ingredients except the oil. Now fill each aubergine slit with the gravy you just made and keep aside.

In a wide saute pan heat the oil, once the oil is hot carefully place each eggplant next to each other. If you have any remaining gravy pour over the eggplants. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the eggplants over and then cover, and cook for another 10 minutes until both the sides are soft and the aubergines are fully cooked. As we are using little oil, make sure that you scrape the gravy off when you turn the eggplants over. Once you notice the oil leaving the sides of the gravy you can turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl.