Wash and pat dry the eggplant. Poke around the surface with a fork and roast over an open flame on a gas stove rotating every once in a while, till the skin is all charred and the eggplant shrinks. Keep aside and let it cool.

Once cool, peel off the skin and mash the rest of the cooked eggplant. Heat the oil in a kadhai / heavy bottomed pan, add the onions, garlic and ginger. Let it sauté till the onion softens. Add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, cayenne and tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes soften and the oil separates from the masala.

Add the mashed eggplant and salt and cook for a few minutes. Remove from heat, squeeze the lime, mix it in and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with rotis , parathas or naan along with some simple dal.