Purge Eggplant Moisture: Arrange the 1-inch eggplant rounds on a board, season both sides with ½ teaspoon salt, and rest for 15 minutes. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels to absorb expelled liquid.

Toast Garnishes: Melt ¼ cup ghee in a wide skillet over medium heat. Sauté split cashews until pale golden (1 minute), add raisins until puffed (20 seconds), then remove with a slotted spoon. Fry half the sliced onions in the same ghee until deep amber and crisp (6–8 minutes); remove and set aside.

Sear Eggplant: In the remaining hot ghee, pan-fry eggplant rounds in a single layer over medium-high heat for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned on both faces but slightly firm at the center. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Build Aromatics: Add remaining sliced onions to the pan; cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft and pale gold. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 90 seconds until fragrant.

Toast Spices & Cook Tomatoes: Reduce heat to medium-low. Add Kashmiri chili, turmeric, coriander, and cumin powder; stir for 30 seconds. Add minced tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking down the tomatoes until the paste is glossy and ghee releases at the edges.

Temper and Emulsify Sauce: Lower heat to minimum. Stir 2 tablespoons of hot tomato paste into the whisked room-temperature yogurt, then pour the tempered mixture into the skillet in a slow, steady stream while stirring continuously. Cook gently for 3 minutes until smooth and simmering. Pour in ½ cup warm water to achieve a velvety gravy.

Simmer and Infuse: Lay seared eggplant rounds into the sauce. Fold in half the fried onions, half the cashews, and the garam masala. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 4–5 minutes until eggplant is tender throughout.

Finish and Garnish: Turn off heat. Scatter remaining fried onions, toasted cashews, plumped raisins, and chopped fresh coriander over the top. Rest covered for 5 minutes before serving hot.