Brinjal And Mochai Curry

          Brinjal or eggplant is one versatile vegetable, which can take many avatars and enact each one of them very gracefully. You can see it in almost all of the world cuisines, and in our own Indian kitchen, either in the simple sambar, poriyals, or in the more exotic baingan barthas and gutti vankayas. Fresh mochai or field beans is available in India during the Pongal season, and here in the US, throughout the year, one can find them in the frozen section of the Indian stores. Brinjal and mochai get along very well in any dish, a  marriage made in heaven..

Need to Have

• Brinjals - 10 small ones
• Mochai - 1/2 cup
• Onion - 1
• Coriander Leaves - chopped 3/4 cup
• Grated coconut - 1 tablespoon

For Seasoning

• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon

 To Powder

• Channa Dal - 2 tablespoons
• Cumin Seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
• Dry Red Chilli - 2 

Method
       
          Slice the brinjals and chop the onion. Roast the ingredients under To Powder and grind coarsely, at the end add the chopped coriander and coconut, pulse the grinder once and keep. Heat oil, add the seasonings, saute, add the onion, saute till it turns pink. Now, add the brinjals and mochai, cover and cook, sprinkle some water so that the mochai cooks well. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the ground powder, mix well and remove. Your brinjal and mochai curry is ready to be served with rice and any sambar or dal.

Note
You can cook the mochai separately and add.
If you don't have fresh ones, soak dry mochai, pressure cook and add to the above curry.
My bag of red chillies is very spicy, you add more or less depending on yours.