Baingan Aloo Charchari

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and slivered
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
• 6 curry leaves, if available
• 1 1/4 pounds waxy potatoes, 1-inch dice
• 1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound, unpeeled, 1-inch dice
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspooon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Garnish: cilantro or thinly sliced green onions

Directions

1. Set a large, deep pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium heat, then warm the oil and butter. Stir in the mustard seeds, ginger, chiles and Asafoetida powder, and cook them just until the mustard seeds start to crackle.
2. Right away, add all the remaining ingredients except the garnish, along with 1 1/4 cup of water. Stir the pot once, bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat so it bubbles gently. Rest the lid on top loosely, leaving enough coverage for the steam to soften the vegetables at the surface.
3. Cook without stirring until the potatoes and eggplant are very tender. If the pot seems dry before they are done, splash in a little more water, using no more than a couple tablespoons at a time.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked through, take off the lid, turn the heat up slightly, and continue cooking until the liquid has cooked away and the bottom of the pot starts to make a frying, sizzling sound. Check with a spoon if you need to see what is happening underneath. You are aiming for a light crust, not anything burned. As soon as you feel that crust beginning to form, turn off the heat and leave the pot alone for 5 minutes. Stir everything together, add the garnish, and serve.