Aubergines cooked in a pickling style

From Madhur Jaffrey's 'Indian Cookery', 1982. This goes well with rogan josh

1 inch cube of fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
6 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 fl ozs (55ml) water
13/4 lbs aubergines
2 fl ozs water
about 12 fl oz (350ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon kalonji seeds (black onion seeds)
3/4 lb (350g) tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
One third teaspoon cayenne (more if you like)
about 1.25 teaspoons salt

Another wet day.....