(photographed by james piper)
when my aunt cooks anything for you, you're in for a treat. when my aunt makes her famous eggplant, james looses his mind. it is that good, and it's his absolute favourite. my mom won't mind me telling you that although others make this dish (my mom's recipe is delicious), my aunt's version is the one people cannot get over. because this month i'm focusing on recipes from the cooks closest to me, i was totally excited to share this one with you. my aunt actually cooked alongside me, recipe-testing and tweaking as we went, so it's extra special. you may think i'm biased, but you too, are in for a treat with this recipe.
(photographed by james piper)
japanese eggplants yield the best results here, and a very different one from large eggplants, so do get these thin, pale purple eggplants when you try this recipe. it calls for many of the same ingredients that most of the sri lankan recipes on my site call for, including my mom's pumpkin curry recipe from last week. see why you need to get these few leaves and spices into your pantry? they're going to pop up here time and again and they are so worth having. they keep well and i promise you, they come together to make the most delicious curries. (side note: i'm starting a mini-glossary of some lesser-known ingredients and where you might find them soon! but if you need help before then, just leave a comment.)
(photographed by james piper)
as with any recipe where you're frying in oil, get the oil to the right temperature (350-360 degrees), and you won't burn your ingredients, nor will they suck up a lot of oil. a fry thermometer comes in handy for this recipe--so does a splatter guard. in lieu of those, just use even more caution than you normally use when frying in oil--which is a lot, right? good.
(photographed by james piper)
while frying eggplant in batches requires a little patience, it's not at all hard, nor is any part of this recipe. the eggplant is cooked perfectly after frying, and simmers to the silkiest state in the curry. the flavours in the finished dish are deep and pair perfectly with the pumpkin curry and the other recipes coming up. but really, you could eat this eggplant on it's own by the forkful. james does. (what? you do.)

fried eggplant curry
2 1/2 lbs japanese eggplants
1/4 c white vinegar
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
vegetable or peanut oil for frying
1 small onion, halved
1 green chili, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1-inch piece ginger, sliced
10 curry leaves, fresh or frozen
1 3-inch piece rampe (pandan or screw pine leaves)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 can (200ml) coconut milk
slice eggplants: first, cut each eggplant crosswise into 3-inch pieces. then cut those pieces in half lengthwise. finally cut all pieces, lengthwise, into 1/3-inch thick pieces. in a large bowl, mix vinegar, 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1/2 tsp salt together. add eggplant and toss to coat well in the marinade.
in a wide, heavy pan, pour about 1/2-inch of oil. heat over high heat, then add eggplant carefully, and fry in batches (do not overcrowd oil) until eggplant is golden (about 4-5 minutes/batch). transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
in a large pan, add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. add the fried eggplant and stir well. then lower the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly absorbed. serve over rice.
makes 4-6 side servings, or 3-4 large servings.