Brinjal Paella

Ingredients
4 medium sized brinjals (Egg fruit), 1 tblspn each of
pounded Maldive fish, sliced red onions, coriander
seed, ground mustard seed, 1 1/2 tspn white cumin
and 1/2 tspn sweet cumin (ground together), 1
tblspn sugar, 1/4 stem lemon grass, a small sprig of
curry leaves,4 cloves of garlic(chopped), 3 ripe chilies
(sliced), 3 slices of green ginger (chopped), 2" piece
of cinnamon, 2" piece of rampe, 1 wine glass
coconut vinegar, 1 1/2 oz. tamarind (squeezed in salt water), coconut oil, salt, 1 teacupful thick coconut milk, a pinch of ground saffron and 20 dry chilies (ground).


Method:
Slice the brinjals lengthwise, rub over with salt and saffron and fry in oil. Mix the ground ingredients with the vinegar and tamarind and mix in the rest of the ingredients, except the coconut milk and sugar. Heat 2 tblspns oil in a "chatty' pot and when very hot turn in the brinjal mixture , add the coconut milk and let it simmer on a slow fire for about 15 minutes, stirring all the time. Mix in
the sugar just before taking off the fire.