THIS IS THE FIRST INDIAN RECIPE I LEARNED TO MAKE.
My Babaji (paternal grandfather) was visiting us in Pennsylvania at the time from his tiny village in Punjab, and he insisted that I learn to cook with our own deep, fiery flavor profiles. My love of eating started earlier, but my love of cooking, I would say, started here. I launched the first episode of my new cooking show on PBS member stations with this recipe because it's at once so simple and complex, and so meaningful to my food journey. Try it as is or substitute a sweet potato for an interesting twist.
In a heavy-bottomed, 4-quart sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the ghee. Add the hing, cumin seeds, and turmeric, and cook for 40 seconds, until the cumin sizzles and turns reddish brown. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Both will brown and slightly caramelize.
Add the drained potato to the sauté pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the onion and fresh chiles and cook for 2 minutes, until they are slightly browned. Add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes. At this point, you’ll have created a base for the dish.
Add the eggplant, salt, garam masala, coriander, and red chile powder to the sauté pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan, and cook for 13 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time, add the water to help the ingredients pull together and to avoid sticking. Stir well. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes, to allow the flavors to blend completely.
Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the cilantro, and serve immediately with the Roti or Naan.
"What in the world is the code below?!"
If you’re subscribed to our weekly emails, you’ve probably noticed a block of code pop up under our latest recipes. On the blog, that’s actually a super handy printable/downloadable recipe — but it doesn’t display correctly in email (ahhh, technology!). Click through to our website to access this feature, and rest assured — there’s a method to our madness!
[[ recipeID=recipe-2mppuh1p8, title=Stovetop: Aloo Baingan, Potato and Eggplant Curry ]]
dear anupy singla
i enjoy your show very much i love indian food,but i do not know of an indian market to buy all ingredience i will try to find a market. aniway you are great thank you
ILANA ——— Indian As Apple Pie replied: Thank you for watching!! For a quick set of just about all spices that you need, look at my website. We’ve made it very easy to order the basic set of spices and also the elevated blends. They are also shipped as sets making ordering very easy. www.indianasapplepie.com. Let me know if you need any other help!
In a heavy-bottomed, 4-quart sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the ghee. Add the hing, cumin seeds, and turmeric, and cook for 40 seconds, until the cumin seeds sizzle and turn reddish-brown. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Both will brown and slightly caramelize.
Add the drained potato to the sauté pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the onion and fresh chiles and cook for 2 minutes, until they are slightly browned. Add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes. At this point, you’ll have created a base for the dish.
Add the eggplant, salt, garam masala, coriander, and red chile powder to the sauté pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan, and cook for 13 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time, add the water to help the ingredients pull together and to avoid sticking. Stir well. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes, to allow the flavors to blend completely.
Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the cilantro, and serve immediately with the Roti or Naan.
Notes
Try it as is or substitute a sweet potato for an interesting twist.
Thanks for sharing our website with your friends and family!
Ilana
July 23, 2026
dear anupy singla
i enjoy your show very much i love indian food,but i do not know of an indian market to buy all ingredience i will try to find a market. aniway you are great thank you
ILANA
———
Indian As Apple Pie replied:
Thank you for watching!! For a quick set of just about all spices that you need, look at my website. We’ve made it very easy to order the basic set of spices and also the elevated blends. They are also shipped as sets making ordering very easy. www.indianasapplepie.com. Let me know if you need any other help!