Eggplant in Poppy seed Gravy

(From Banu's Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 Medium Eggplant Chopped (Keep the chopped eggplant in water to avoid discoloration)
1 Big Red Onion Chopped Fine
3 Tsp of Poppy Seeds
1 Tsp of Red Chilli Powder or 2-3 green Chillies
1/4 cup of Chopped Coriander leaves for Garnish
Salt to Taste
Oil to Sautee

Method:
1. Sautee the chopped Eggplant in pan with some oil and once it is done, take it out on a plate.
2. In the same pan, add some more oil and saute 1/2 of the chopped onion and when it is half done, add the poppy seeds and fry some more until you see the poppy seeds changing color. Take this mixture out and let it cool to room temperature.
3. Grind the onion and poppy seed mixture along with some Red Chilli Powder or Green Chillies into a smooth paste. It will take some time as poppy seeds are kind of hard to grind.
4. In a pan, add some oil and add cumin seeds. Then add the remainder of the chopped onion and Sautee well. Add the ground paste to this and cook for a little while. Add some water if need be. Add the chopped Eggplant and salt and cook it on low fire until it all mixes together well. You can add some more water at this point as Eggplant will also absorb it. Add enough water until you get the gravy consistency that you want.

Eggplant with Poppy seed Gravy is ready to be served hot with either Chapathi or Rice.