Eggplant Curry

My co-worker brought me some of this to try at work.  It was delicious!!  He said his mom made this for him growing up and his wife requests it all the time from him.  He asked me if I would like some as I'm always after his tips for cooking Indian food.  I decided the next time I saw good looking eggplants at the market I was going to try it.  (Below, the picture is from another dish I made, but I used it as I forgot to take one of the eggplants, but they looked like this).

What he told me and what I used:

• 2 medium sized eggplants, pierced with fork and then nuked in microwave for 10 minutes (it took me 20 minutes to make them soft enough to mash).
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 inch nub of ginger, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic (I used 3), minced
• 1 small red and yellow bell pepper, diced
• Handful of red cabbage, shredded (I omitted this as I didn't have it)
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala
• 1 teaspoon of madras curry powder
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• Crushed chili flakes, to taste
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped finely and for garnish
• Fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon no salt tomato paste

When the eggplant comes out of the microwave, you can either peel them or not.  I did this time (with a Y shaped peeler) though not carefully, because I was following what he did.  Normally I would just leave the skin on.  He said to mash it up, which is what I did with a potato masher.

I sauteed the onion and ginger in avocado oil until the onion was caramelized.

Then I put in the garlic.  The bell peppers went in next and I stirred until it was soft.  I put in the tomato paste and cooked it out.

The spices went in next and then the eggplant.  I had to add water here (about a cup), so it wouldn't stick and wasn't so thick.  I mixed this until it was "mushy" and let it simmer (covered) for about a half hour.  In went the cilantro and I stirred.  I tasted and adjusted the S&P.  Mine seemed a little "bitter" tasting at the end, so I added about a tablespoon of raw cane sugar.  I gave it all a final mash.  I served.  This would be sooo good with garlic naan, but I didn't have any and used it a side dish tonight.  

This dish takes patience and a loooong while.  The caramelizing of the onions takes time.  Mine wasn't as good as his, but it was still tasty.  I'd rather he cooks it for me next time, lol.  Mine wasn't the same texture as his and his spicing was better.  My son did not like the texture at all though said he liked the spice.  I saved my co-worker some so he can tell me the error of my ways...