Stuffed Brinjal Curry

Mom always pan fried eggplants and that's the only way I liked to prepare them. I never liked the thought of eggplants in a curry. But when we lived in Hyderabad a few years back I had this dish at a friends place and loved the flavors. 

                   

This recipe is adapted mostly from Prema's My Cookbook with a few changes of my own.

Ingredients:
8-10 small eggplants
1 big onion
2 big tomatoes
1 tbs ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp red chili powder
salt to taste
2tbs roasted skinned peanuts
2 tbs roasted sesame seeds
2 tbs fresh grated coconut
1/4 cup fresh chopped cliantro
1-2 tsps lemon juice

Method:
Saute the onions until golden. Add garam masala, red chili powder and some salt. Take off heat.
Grind about a third of the sauteed onions along with the peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut into a smooth paste, adding water only if needed.
Wash the eggplants, keeping the stems intact. Make a cross slit on the opposite side of the stem, through the length off the eggplant without splitting into quarters.
Stuff some of the ground paste into each eggplant.
Keep the onions back on heat and add the eggplants, the remaining paste, 1 cup of water and the chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the eggplants are tender. Check the seasonings, and stir in the cilantro and lemon juice. Serve hot with chapatis or rice.