Bengali Eggplant And Yogurt With Mustard Seed

Directions

1. Sprinkle black pepper, cardamon pwdr (optional)
2. Note:Equal parts of whole cumin, fennel, Fenugreek, mustard, kalunji seeds.
3. Soak grnd mustard seed and cayenne in one c. of water. Cut up eggplant into cubes. Heat mustard oil, put in panch pharon mix and after a few seconds add in the black mustard/cayenne water. This will splatter so have a cover ready. Add in eggplant and cook. You will probably need to add in additional water as the eggplant cooks to keep its level about the same, perhaps another c.. Cover it for the last ten min.
4. When the eggplant is cooked add in a c. of yogurt and the salt, mix and heat up yogurt, but don't boil.
5. Sprinkle a tiny bit of black pepper and cardamon over the top if you want.
6. This dish also tastes good cool the next day.
7. Variation:Anasua Munshi tells me which in his grandmother's village they make this without the yogurt, substituting green chillis for cayenne and using only fennel for the panch pharon mix.