I have fallen in love with this Curry when I tried first time at an exotic India Restaurant Peacock Elite. I have never heard this variety or name before that too made with my favorite veggie Baingan/Vankaya. The taste of this curry is amazing and flavors definitely are new to my tastebuds and there is some unique flavor in this curry. That is it, I came home with a determination to replicate this curry in my kitchen. Upon few searches on internet I didn't get the exact recipe any where with this name, However I came to know that Lasooni in Hindi means Garlic. I have browsed few recipes and mixed with my sense of taste and created my own version of this recipe, Oh my... this turned out so good. The garlic flavors in this curry yet subtle but giving very bold taste to this curry. I am sure this will be hit on your dinner table or at any potluck entries. Give it a try, here is the recipe for you, Njoy!

Lasooni Baingan

Ingredients:
Eggplant - 1 large (if you are using Italian Eggplant - use 3 to 4 medium)
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Garlic - 1 (1 pod, or 8 to 10 cloves)
Green Chili - 3 medium
Ginger - 1 inch stick
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 to 2 tsp ( adjust per your taste)
Red Chili Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1/4 cup
Cilantro - 1 Tbsp for garnish

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp (roughly ground)

*yields - 8 servings

Preparatory Steps:

• Chop Onion length wise. Chop tomatoes into very thin pieces or if you have chunky tomatoes, grate them. Peel and chop ginger into very thin sticks (julienne cut)
• Trim and chop Eggplant into 1 inch cube size and keep them in warm water with salt. This prevents eggplant from blackening.
• Remove peel from garlic pods and trim edges of green chilies. Grind garlic cloves and green chili in small mixie jar to coarse paste.
• Heat 1/4 oil Oil in kadai. Drain eggplant pieces from salt water and squueze with your hands to remove any excess water. Then fry egg plant pieces in kadai for about 5 min on medium flame. This helps in Eggplant pieces retaining their color and shape with out getting mushy in the curry. Eggplant pieces become tender, take them out of oil and transfer them into a plate and keep aside.

Method:

1. Heat the same kadai that is used to fry eggplants. There will be some oil in it already. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds. Once mustard splutters add roughly ground fenugreek seeds. 
2. Add chopped onions and ginger slices and saute well with tempering. Add turmeric powder and keep the flame to medium to low, allowing onions to saute and caramelize.
3. Now add ground garlic and green chili paste to pan. saute for 5 min. Now, Add tomato pieces or grated puree to pan and mix everything very well. Add red chili powder and let the curry simmer. The curry comes together becoming thick. 
4. Now add fried eggplants to curry and mix with onion & tomato masala. Close the lid and let it cook covered for 5 min.
5. Open the lid and increase flame to medium to high, cook uncovered until curry comes together. Now add Coriander powder and salt, mix well with curry. 
6. Cook on high for couple of minutes, then switch off the stove. Transfer curry to serving bowl and garnish with Cilantro. 

Notes:

• Good thing about this curry is you can use any chunky variety of Brinjal/Eggplant. American style Eggplant or Italian Eggplant will be perfect for this recipe. 
• This recipe calls for large amount of oil compare to any typical curry, don't skim on Oil that will discount the taste. 
• Fenugreek is another secret ingredient that enhances the flavor greatly for this curry. Make sure you add right amount and grind seeds coarsely in hand mortar while adding them to tempering. Fenugreek is bitter in taste, use it sparingly.
• Garlic is star ingredient in this curry, used in large amount and the reason for bold flavors in this curry. If you can't use Garlic for religious purposes, unfortunately there is no alternative to replace garlic in this curry. However this Eggplant Tomato Curry should be your go to recipe.

Will be back with another exotic curry,
keep smiling until then!
-Mythreyi