Brinjal Curry/ Gutti Vankaya Masala Curry

We had some friends for Thanksgiving and I made this as a side dish with vegetable fried rice. It is generally had along with rice/roti/puri and mostly with Biryani. It is a delicious recipe and is famous from the city of Hyderabad, usually served in weddings or gatherings.
Eggplants which are small and fresh are used in this recipe and are available at any Indian grocery stores. Eggplants are slit into four, not fully (keeping the stem intact). They are fried twice once shallow and then on medium to low heat in the sauce of onions and roasted spices.

Serves 4-5 people
Cooking time 35-45 mins

Ingredients for preparation :

Eggplants/Baingan 5-6, small, fresh and purple in colour
Onions sliced thick- 2-3
Dry coconut 1/4 piece
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Peanuts 1/2 cup or a handful
Garam masala ingredients(Shahi jeera 1/4 tbsp, Cinnamom/Dalchini 1 inch, Cardamom/Elaichi 1, Lavangam/Cloves 1-2)
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp or more according to your spice level
Small green chillies - 5-6
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 tbsp
Tamarind concentrate - 2 to 3 tbsp
Fenugreek/Methi seeds -1/4 tbsp
Oil

Method :

1. Dry roast peanuts/groundnuts until raw smell is gone, add sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds, jeera in a same pan and fry for 1 to 2 minutes and then keep aside away from heat.
2. Make a dry powder of all these items.
3. In a saute pan, heat 2 to 3 tbsp oil then add sliced onions, green chillies, coriander, mint leaves, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste and salt. Fry them roughly for 3-5 mins and let them cool.
4. Once they are cool, add them to the dry powder along with dry coconut, tamarind and grind well until it becomes a paste.
5. Wash and slit the brinjals into four, not fully(leaving the stem intact).
6. Shallow fry them for 5- 10 mins in 1-2 tbsp oil and keep them aside.
7. Now heat oil in a nonstick pan, then add fenugreek seeds( very few or else the curry will be bitter), jeera and fry for sec.
8. To it add the fried brinjals and then add the paste made from dry roasted spices and onions along with tamarind and dry coconut.
9. Add half cup of water or even less.
10. Cook on low to medium heat for around 15-20 mins with the lid covered stirring once in a while.
11. When the eggplants appear tender and soft, transfer the curry into a dish and garnish with coriander.
12. Serve hot with fried rice, roti, puri or even plain rice.