Slice off the stems of the eggplant. Cut into quarters and keep in a bowl filled with salted water, until ready to use.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan / kadai.
Squeeze out the cut eggplant and add to kadai. Stir on high flame for a minute or so. Add the finely sliced spring onions.
Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, sprinkle some water and cover and cook until the eggplants are cooked. This will take around 8-10 minutes depending on the variety of eggplant.
How to cook foxtail millets: Heat water in a pressure cooker. In a utensil that fits in the cooker, place the millets, wash once, add double the quantity of water, 1/2 tsp salt, few drops of oil and pressure cook for two whistles. Remove the vessel when the cooker is cool enough to be opened. Transfer cooked millets to a large dish and spread it out, allowing it to cool a bit. This ensures that each grain is separate.
Coming back to the eggplant, add 1 tsp ready tamarind paste to the nearly cooked eggplants and 3-4 tsp of water, stir on medium flame to combine well.
To this add the vaangi bhath masala and stir to combine.
Add the cooked millets to this and stir gently to combine everything together. Adjust seasoning if required.
For the tempering, heat the oil in a small tempering ladle or pan. Add the peanut and allow them to turn golden brown and crisp. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chilli and asafoetida. Once mustard splutters, add it over the millets.