Eggplant is a wonderfully versatile vegetable. It can be turned into a creamy side like babaganoush, or made into a super tasty curry. Eggplant, much like okra, is a staple in many cuisines — from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean to various Asian dishes. The version I love works beautifully as both an appetizer and a main dish. The recipe I’m going to share is a traditional Maharashtrian version.

Ingredients

How to make

Wash and cut the eggplant into ½-inch thick slices. In a pan, mix together all the remaining ingredients except the semolina. Coat the eggplant slices with this mixture and let them rest for about 5 minutes.
Next, coat each slice in semolina and shallow-fry them, turning to cook both sides evenly.

These can be enjoyed as they are, or served with rice or rotis. They taste best when crispy, but are still wonderfully flavorful even the next day, when they lose their crunch.