Bharta served with Rotis and My Mom’s Yogurt

Ingredients:  Serves 6-8

• 2 large eggplants (these were grown by my neighbor, Billy)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 chili pepper, minced
• 3 inches of ginger root, minced
• 1 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• grape seed oil (or any other neutral flavored oil)
• salt and pepper to taste

Prep:

The onion and tomato are diced.  The ginger and chili are minced.

Prepping the mashed eggplant:

• Separate the garlic head into cloves.  Peel the skin from each clove and cut it in half lengthwise.
• Cut slits into the eggplants and insert a piece of garlic into each slit.
• Rub each eggplant with grape see oil.  Place in a baking dish and roast at 450 F until the skin becomes charred and the flesh is soft.  NOTE: you will have to turn the eggplants over during the roasting process so that the skin is charred on all sides.

• Cut of the ends, score them with a fork and set aside for later.
• Discard as many of the seeds as you can and scoop out the flesh.
• Use a chef’s knife to finely mince the flesh.  DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR because it will make the eggplant gummy.

Cook:

1.  Coat a large skillet with grape seed oil.  Add the onion, ginger, chili, black mustard seed , cumin and chili flakes.
2. Turn the stove to medium and saute until brown (about 8 minutes)
3. Add the garam masala and tumeric.  Let the spices toast for about a minute.
   

   
4. Add the diced tomatoes.  Saute until the tomatoes are soft.
5. Add the mashed eggplant and the 2 eggplant ends (when we were little my sisters and I would fight over the eggplant ends.  So mom made sure there was one for each of us.)  Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

   
6. Add the peas.  Let them saute for 2 minutes.
   

   

I have served the Eggplant Bharta with Rotis and My Mom’s Yogurt.  This is how my mom served it.  You can use this as a side dish with anything you like.