Chicken Brinjal Curry

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large eggplant, cubed to 1-inch
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 small jalapeño pepper, minced
3 large fresh, ripe tomatoes
1 cup water
2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp garam masala

1 Tbsp favorite curry powder - or:
2 tsp powdered turmeric
1 tsp fenugreek powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds

First cook the eggplant by tossing into a dry hot non-stick skillet (I use a ceramic non-stick skillet which can be heated very high when dry; not good for Teflon).  Toss well and when beginning to steam and sizzle a bit, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and the garam masala  Continue cooking eggplant over medium heat, stirring often, but gently, to brown the sides but not to break down the cubes.  Set the browned eggplant aside in a bowl. 

In the same pan, gently heat the cumin and fennel seeds just to toast a minute or so, until fragrant.  Add a glug of canola oil and toss in the chicken.  Brown the chicken well on all sides and then add the powdered turmeric and fenugreek. If using your favorite curry powder instead of individual spices, add it now and cook another 2-3 minutes with the chicken.  Set the chicken aside in a bowl. 

Now caramelize the veggies in the same skillet.  Add a glug of canola oil and the onions, sweat them down and sauté for about 8-10 minutes.  Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeño and cook another 3-4 minutes until very fragrant.  Tip the onion mix into the bowl with the chicken.

Now finish with the tomatoes by heating the skillet to high.  Add a glug of canola oil and then toss in the tomatoes.  Let them sizzle and spit,  cooking off some of their liquid.  Stir from time to time, but not too often - you want the tomatoes to begin to caramelize.  After they brown up a bit, stir them down to form a purée.  Return the chicken, onions and eggplant to the dish and add the water.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, stir, cover and cook for about 30 minutes.  Add the butter and stir to melt. This enriches the sauce wonderfully.  Serve with rice. 

Serves 4.