Indian Eggplant Bhaji

I went to the local Indian restaurant yesterday for dinner and had a delicious eggplant bhaji. It was so delicious, I wanted to have it again today. I started looking up recipes online and with some adjustments, cooked my first eggplant bhaji and it was wonderful. It was less sweet than the one I had yesterday, but delicious nonetheless.

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 1 green pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp sambhar powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 Spanish onion
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 inch chunk of fresh ginger
• salt
  

Directions:

• Chop the eggplant into cubes and soak in salty water.
• Chop the onion and the green pepper
• Chop the ginger finely
• Heat the oil on high heat and add the mustard seeds and the cumin seeds until they start crackling.
  
• Add the turmeric and stir.
• Add the ginger and the bay leave.
• Add the onion and the green pepper and cook for 5 minutes
• Drain the eggplant and add to the mix.
• Add the rest of the spices and mix well.
  
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
• serve with Raita.

Shatain! (double health in Arabic)