Categories: Sauces, Indian, Digest 
      Yield: 4 servings 
  
      1 md Eggplant 
    2/3 c  Red lentils 
      2 c  Water 
      2 t  Black mustard seeds 
      1 t  Coriander 
      1 t  Cumin 
      1    Cinnamon stick 
      1    Dried red chili 
           -cayenne pepper to taste 
           -salt to taste 
  
  Roast the eggplant in a 400-degree oven for an hour (stab it first with a 
  fork).  A half hour or twenty minutes before you anticipate the eggplant 
  will be done, pop the mustard seeds in a medium sized saucepan, then add 
  lentils, water and spices.  Bring to a boil and gently simmer until the 
  eggplant is finished cooking, then remove eggplant from oven, slit open, 
  scoop out innards, chop them coarsely and add to lentils.  Cook another 
  5-10 minutes to blend all the flavors.  This would probably make a 
  respectable soup if it were thinned out with more water and broth, but I 
  served it over... 
   
  > Kirsten, your recipe for eggplant dal sounds delicious, but would you 
  explain > how to "pop" mustard seeds? Also, you call for black mustard seed 
  ~ how is > that different in flavor from regular mustard seed? Do you find 
  them at your > HFS, or do normal grocery stores carry them? > I pop the 
  seeds by putting them in a heavy wok with a lid.  I spray a little bit of 
  Pam first.  The brown or black mustard seeds can usually be gotten at a HFS 
  or an Indian grocery store.  These are the only kinds of seeds I have ever 
  tasted so I can't comment on whether the flavor is different but they add 
  substantially to the flavor of an Indian type dish. 
   
  Kirstin Reade Wilcox  
  From Fatfree Digest April-May 1994, Formatting by Sue Smith (using MMCONV)