Pour 1½ cups water to a bowl and add ¼ teaspoon salt to it. Rinse and chop brinjals to 1 inch cubes. Keep them immersed until used.

Heat a heavy bottom pan with 1 tablespoon oil.

Add the slit green chilies & fry for 1 to 2 mins until they blister. Remove them to a plate and set aside. Remove them to the plate.

To the same pan, add brinjal pieces, sprinkle salt and fry till for 2 to 3 mins.

Cover and cook them until tender. Remove them to the plate.

To the same pan, add tomatoes and turmeric. Fry till fully mushy and almost dry. Then add cumin. Do not cover and cook as this doesn't give a good taste to the brinjal chutney.

Cool all of these.

Add green chilies and all the other ingredients along with tamarind or lemon juice to a onion chopper or blender.

Run the machine to make a coarse chutney. Taste the chutney and add more salt and tamarind or lemon juice.

Heat another small pan with 1 tsp oil.

Add mustard, cumin , red chili and dals. When the dals turn golden, add curry leaves and pinch of hing (optional).

Off the heat and add the chutney to this. Mix well and garnish brinjal chutney with chopped coriander leaves.