1 lb (500 g) long purple eggplant, sliced or cubed

Pinch of ground turmeric

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

1 ½ medium-sized onions, cut in half across and finely sliced lengthwise

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1 tablespoon Fish Curry Powder or Ceylon Curry Powder

2-4 fresh green chilies, sliced lengthwise, or to taste

1 cup (250 ml) thick coconut milk

Salt

2 teaspoons tamarind water, white vinegar or fresh lime juice

Tempering

Oil

½ teaspoon brown mustard seed

½ teaspoon fenugreek seed

2 sprigs fresh curry leaves

METHOD

Sprinkle each slice of eggplant with a little ground turmeric and salt and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok or a pan. Dry the moisture off the eggplant slices with a paper towel and fry the slices until they are light brown. Drain and set them aside.

In another pan, fry the onion and garlic in a little oil until they are soft. Heat the oil in a wok or a pan. Add curry powder and green chilies and mix well. Add the coconut milk, salt and tamarind water and boil until thick. Add the eggplant and cook over low heat until the gravy is thick and the oil floats on top. Heat the Tempering oil and fry the mustard seeds, fenugreek and curry leaves, then pour this over the curry.