Baingan Bharta

The beauty of this is the roasting of the eggplant. Much like baba ghanoush, you can get your charcoal grill going, and place the eggplant directly onto the coals so you get that awesome smoky flavor into the dip. Grill the eggplant until the skin is charred all over and the flesh is soft and cooked. If you do not have a charcoal grill, roast the eggplant on high heat in the oven until the flesh is nice and charred all the way around the eggplant.

Once eggplant cools—trust me you want it to cool—remove the skin and reserve the rest of the eggplant. Chop eggplant into medium-sized cubes and set aside as you prepare the remaining ingredients.

To a food processor, add tomatoes, green chili, and ginger and pulse until you have a salsa-like consistency.

To a large skillet on medium-high heat, add canola oil, letting it come to temperature. Add cumin seeds and let them begin to pop, only a few seconds, then add bell pepper and tomato mixture. Give this a good stir and let it come to a simmer.

Add in remaining spices and continue to stir. Once all spices are incorporated, add chopped eggplant. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Everything should begin to thicken just a bit. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Now you are ready to serve. Add some of the eggplant dip to a serving dish, top with some cilantro, and serve alongside warm naan or cooked rice.