Achari Egg Plant / Okra

Ingredients

• Tomatoes- 2 or 3
• Tamarind- 3 or 4tbsp paste or juice
• Jaggery/Sugar .5 - 1tsp
• Curry leaves - a string
• Oil - 2tbsp
• Jeera/Cumin - .5tsp
• Mustard - .5tsp
• Dry Red Chilli - 1-2
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric - 1/8tsp
• Cooked Toor dal - 1 cup (not raw uncooked toor dal)

Method

1. Cut the egg plant/Okra into slices.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add sliced okra/eggplant, salt , little achari masala and stir fry it on medium flame for 5-6 mins or till they are 70% cooked. Remove it from the pan and keep aside.
3. In the same pan heat 2 tbsp oil, then add cumin seeds, mustard seeds.
4. Add nigella fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds(optional).
5. Now add pinch of hing, ginger paste, finely chopped onion and sauté it till golden brown and soft. Add chopped tomatoes in it and again sauté it till soft and mushy.
6. Add achari masala ,
7. Add and adjust red chili powder, salt and mix it well, and stir fry it till oil starts leaving from the mixture.
8. Add the whisked yogurt and mix it well, stir it continuously for 3-4 mins or till starts boiling.
9. Cook on low flame till you see oil separating.
10. Now add the shallow fried okra/egg plant in it. Add salt as per taste, mix it and cook it for 2-3 mins on low flame.
11. garnish it with cilantro.

Note: You can skip onions and yogurt and cook only in tomato puree.