clarified butter or cooking oil
1 large or two med.eggplant
1 large onion
1 large firm tomato
1 tea. turmeric
1 or 2 green chilies or 1 tea. dry red chilies
1 tea. garam masala
salt to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves

Procedure:

This tastes best with clarified butter, but a more 'heart friendly' oil can be used. Clean the eggplant. Rub the entire skin with the butter. Pierce the skin a few times (or, for fun, don't pierce it and watch it explode all over the oven). Bake in a moderate oven (350 deg. F) until soft (30 min. or so), turning once or twice.*

Remove from the heat and let the eggplant cool until its comfortable to the touch. Then scrape the pulp from the skins. Set aside the pulp and discard the skin.

In a large frying pan, brown a finely chopped onion until golden. Add the turmeric, red or green chilies and a teaspoon of garam masala. Fry for a few seconds. Add the chopped tomato and fry until the tomato softens. Add the eggplant pulp and salt. Cook gently for approximately 10 min. so that the taste of the spices has lost its rawness.