As much as I live for Indian food, I kinda can’t believe I’ve never posted any of our favorites.  This is a nice, easy one that even I can handle.

Eggplant Bhaji

1 med size eggplant, sliced into finger-size strips
2 T. ghee or butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped or minced
1 in. ginger root, grated
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 T. chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 c. canned tomatoes
1/2-3/4 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. garam masala

1. First, start a pot of brown rice on the stove.  It takes about 30 minutes, so it should be done in time.

2. Melt the butter or ghee in a wok or frying pan over med. heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft (5-6 min.)

3. Add the garlic and the eggplant, and cook briefly, stirring constantly.

4. Add all the spices except the garam masala, and the tomatoes with their juice.  Simmer uncovered for 15-20 min. or until the eggplant is very soft.  Check it about halfway and add stock if it seems like it’s drying out.  You want to have some sauce for the rice to soak up, so thin it to desired consistency with the stock.

5. Stir in the garam masala and shut off the heat.  Spoon it over rice, and garnish with a nice generous dollop of plain yogurt.  Cilantro’s a nice garnish on here, too.

Here’s a really nice tutorial on how to peel fresh ginger root, if you never have.  This recipe is slightly adapted from 1000 Vegetarian Recipes.