Bagara baingan

This is not the one you are so used to seeing at restaurants that serve Hyderabadi cuisine but it is my version of it.

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 1/2 kg (small, round ones)
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 3 (medium sized)
Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball (soaked in warm water)
Peanuts - 20 gms
Dhania (coriander seeds) - 1 tsp
Saunf - 1 tsp
Shahjeera - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2
Peppercorns - 3-4
Cinnamon - 2 sticks (1" piece each)
Cloves - 3
Garlic - 4 pods
Ginger - a small piece
Curry leaves - a few
Bay leaf - 2
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1/2 cup

Method:

Wash brinjals thoroughtly, slit vertically twice (ensuring the brinjal doesn't get cut into halves) to make it like a pouch, leave it in salt water. Chop onions and tomatoes fine, and squeeze juice out of the tamarind pulp.

For the masala paste, grind together peanuts, dhania, saunf, shahjeera, red chillies, one piece of cinnamon, one clove, garlic and ginger with a little water.

In a pan, heat oil, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves. Then add chopped onions and when they turn brown, add tomatoes. Once oil starts leaving the sides, add brinjals, salt, turmeric powder, and cook them covered.

When brinjals are tender, add the tamarind juice and the masala paste and cook it for 10 minutes on low flame while stirring in between to avoid burning.

Remove from fire, serve hot with rice or rotis.