Katirikkai Thogyal

1. Wrap eggplant in foil nicely and keep inside a 400 deg oven for about 45 mins or until soft. Alternately you could broil it over a gas flame till it gets evenly charred. Cool and peel off skin. Drain of any juices. Chop into large bits.
2. Fry dal, red chillies and asafoetida in oil till brown. Drop into a blender, add tamarind, salt and some of the eggplant. Run the blender on low speed till coarsely blended. Add remaining eggplant and whir for one minute. Scrape out and serve.
3. Other Thogyals/Chutneys
Substitute lightly sauteed onion/zuchini/canadian (hot house) cucumber in above recipe for a variety.