Eggplant Bharta

This dish is a something of a steal from Sarah Kramer's excellent _La Dolce Vegan!_ - although I've made similar before. Sarah makes it easy! I played around a tad with the proportions, the spices and the method (don't I always), but I turned to her recipe first.

EGGPLANT BHARTA

(For two people)

You will need enough grain for the two of you - I used long-grain brown organic rice - to start cooking while you make the dish itself. Here is my version:

1 'small' eggplant, cubed (I left the skin on and used several smaller eggplants)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup (approx.) of vegetable stock (homemade is best - enough to 'saute' the vegetables)
5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 inches of fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp ground cumin seed
2 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cayenne - or to your taste
1 small thai chile
4 roma tomatoes (I used the equivalent amount of regular tomatoes), finely chopped
a couple of handfulls of fresh cilantro (coriander leaves, 'Chinese parsley'), chopped
cilantro for garnish

In a large pan put all ingredients except for the tomatoes and cilantro and 'saute' covered on med-high for around ten minutes or until the eggplant is soft. You may need to add a little more liquid to prevent burning, so keep an eye on it.

Reduce the heat to simmer and add the tomatoes and cilantro, cover, and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve over rice with any 'side salads' and condiments you usually use for an Indian-style meal.