As a child, I used to hate eggplant. Any meal which featured this vegetable was depressing. As I grew older and set up my own home, I used to stoically buy this vegetable once a week, feeling that I had done my duty. It is only after I turned vegan that I really began enjoying eggplant dishes. Since then, I have experimented with dozens of eggplant dishes, each one more amazing than the other. What a versatile vegetable! My dish today is a wonderful eggplant chutney.

Ingredients
200 gms eggplant (katharikkai, baingan), chopped
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tbsp grated coconut
2 dried red chillies
1 tbsp coriander seed (sabut dhania, kothamalli varai)
1 tsp cumin seeds (sabut jeera, jeeragam)
To Temper
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (sarson, kadugu
1/2 tsp split black gram (urad dal, split black gram)
1 sprig curry leaves
Method
Heat a wok and add onion
Saute for a minute
Add eggplant and sprinkle a little water
Saute for about 5 minutes
Set aside
Heat a wok and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dried red chillies
Roast till a fragrant aroma emanates
Remove from flame and cool
Transfer to a blender and add grated coconut
Grind to a fine paste, adding a little water
Add the sauteed eggplant and salt
Grind to a coarse paste
Transfer to a serving bowl
Heat a small wok and add mustard seeds
When they begin to splutter, add the split black gram and curry leaves
When the gram turns golden brown, turn off flame
Add this tempering to the chutney
Serve with dosa, idli, rice…
Enjoy!