Eggplants in a North-South Sauce

Ingredients

• 0.1 teaspoon asafetida 
• 1.5 pounds peas italian cut in half lengthways and then crossways, into 1-inch segents
• 4 tablespoons canola oil 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground pepper 
• 1 cup chicken stock see 
• 0.5 teaspoon fennel seeds whole
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon mustard seeds whole
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 teaspoon nigella seeds whole (kalonji)
• 2 medium tomatoes grated
• 0.5 teaspoon peas split yellow
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin seeds whole

Equipment

• frying pan

Directions

1. Pour the oil into a very large frying pan and set over medium-high heat.When hot, put in the asafetida and the urad dal. As soon as the dal turns ashade darker, add the mustard, cumin, nigella, and fennel seeds, in that order.When the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, add the onions. Stirand fry for a minute.
2. Add the garlic and the eggplant. Stir and fry for 4–5 minutesor until the onions are a bit browned.
3. Add the grated tomatoes, stock, salt,and cayenne. Stir to mix and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and cookabout 20 minutes or until the eggplants are tender, stirring now and then.
4. Reprinted with permission from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey, © 2010 Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.