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Spiced aubergine (dahi baingan)

Preparation time
30 mins to 1 hour

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 8

Dietary
Vegetarian

By Asma Khan
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the spiced aubergine

  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 medium aubergines, thinly sliced into discs
  • oil, for frying

For the garlic raita

  • 500g/1lb 2 oz full-fat Turkish or Greek yoghurt
  • 6 garlic cloves, crushed
  • ½ tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp brown sugar

For the tempering

  • 10 fresh curry leaves
  • 3 dried red chillies, broken in half

To serve

  • parathas

Method

  1. To make the spiced aubergine, rub the ground turmeric, chilli powder and salt into the aubergine slices. Set aside for 20 minutes. When ready to cook, squeeze the aubergine slices to remove any excess water.

  2. To make the garlic yoghurt, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust as necessary. Place in a serving dish.

  3. To finish the spiced aubergine, ideally use a deep-fat fryer or, if you haven’t got one, use a heavy-based saucepan over a medium–high heat and heat the oil to 180C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.). Test the temperature by putting a cube of bread in the oil – if it immediately starts to crisp up then the oil is ready.

  4. Working in batches, deep-fry the aubergine slices until golden-brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the oil and drain on a plate.

  5. Layer the deep-fried aubergine slices on top of the garlic yogurt in a serving dish.

  6. To make the tempering, in a small frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil used to fry the aubergines. Add the curry leaves and dried red chillies and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

  7. Pour the spiced oil over the aubergine slices and yoghurt. Serve immediately.

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