1. Place eggplant in colander, sprinkle with coarse salt, & leave for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly & dry well with paper towels.

2. Soak tamarind pulp in 1/3 cup boiling water, off the heat, for 15 minutes. Stir & mash with fork to help it dissolve. Strain through a fine strainer into a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid.

3. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. In batches, cook the eggplant until golden on both sides, about 7 minutes per batch, transferring the cooked eggplant to paper towels to drain. Drain thoroughly, changing the paper towels with each batch.

4. Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy flameproof casserole or dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the onions & cook, stirring, until golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, curry powder, cayenne, black pepper & cinnamon & stir for 1 minute.

5. Add the remaining water, tamarind liquid, raisins & sugar & salt to taste & simmer over low heat until the mixture reduces & thickens, 5-7 minutes. Add the garam masala & cook for another minute. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

flavors is one of my absolutely favorite ways to prepare eggplant. Serve it

as part of a curry meal, or as an accompaniment to grilled poultry or meat.

It is also excellent at room temperature. When cooking the eggplant, make

sure you drain it thoroughly of all excess oil. If you like, you can grill

the eggplant slices instead of frying them.