Showing posts with label eggplant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eggplant. Show all posts
Thursday, March 13, 2014
BEGUN TOMATO MICRO CHA CHADI Eggplant and tomato
Today there is no story or incident to narrate. Every body had gala time on cakes and cookies, and all exotic dishes on New year. And the poor joker ( yes yes you are right, that was me) was busy making fish, mutton and chicken tikkas, sitting in front of a charcoal BBQ contraption...OK end of the ordeal was good as every body liked the tikka and asking for the recipe....I did not tell them that for charcoal grill no recipe was needed. ( Thanks to Sanjeev Kapoor).
So I thought I would post a simple Bengali recipe which you should be able to make in 15 minutes and watch TV too in between.
RECIPE
This is a simple Bati ( bowl) cha-chaDi , made in Micro...Ingredients are all added raw , no frying but it will have a high note of Turmeric.(..if you dont like turmeric ( not so frightening as it may appear) you may not make this dish) , a mild note of Panch foDon ( 5 spices of bengal and orissa), high chili and the fragrance of Mustrad oil. Believe me, if you can get a good quality of olive oil, non-bongs can use it and it tastes real good minus the pungency of mustard...
INGREDIENTS
Egg plant 2 cups , chopped to 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces.
Tomato 1 medium, cut to 1/2 inch
green chili 3 cut to 1/2 inch ( more the merrier)
Onion 1 medium sliced.
turmaric powder 1 tsp
red chili powder ( absolutely optional only for hot chili eaters)
Panch PhoDon 1/2 tsp if you dont have forget it)
Mustard oil 11/2 tbsp ( olive oil will do)
salt to taste
Sugar 1 or 3/4th tsp level ( This is for taste and not sweetening)
Sugar 1 or 3/4th tsp level ( This is for taste and not sweetening)
coriander leaves ( optional) chopped 1 tbsp
ginger, fine chopped 1 tsp
PROCESS
Mix all of these in a micro proof glass or ceramic ware with a ceramic lead ( you can put a 1/2 plate on top to cover)
Put in the micro with the cover and run at 700 to 900 watt for 3 minutes
Remove and mix well and again put back and run for 3 minutes,
Cover and run for few minutes...for the timing I will rely on your experience..to ensure that all the ingredients are cooked and soft.
devoure with , roti, paratha or hot rice. I love it with rice as it is extra hot.
VARIATIONS
Do whatever you want , one can replace eggplant with fried paneer or use sliced potato, zucchini , ridge gourd, cauliflower or cabbage etc etc.
View my latest post on Indian Himalayas, Trishul,
And finally , no flower but moon for my foodie friends
Monday, March 10, 2014
Little Lamb Meatballs in a Spicy Eggplant Tomato Sauce – Please Come Out with Your Hands and Forks Up
Theres one thing I learned a long time ago; if you add a little cinnamon to a savory recipe, you are allowed to describe it as "exotic." Thats just the way it works. And really, who doesnt need a little more "exotic" in their lives?As far as the easy part, well, that is a more relative term. There are no difficult techniques here, and after cutting up an eggplant and onion, most of your prep is done. The only step that one would describe as "not easy," would be the shaping of all those little meatballs.
Eating little lamb meatballs is fun, but it does take a while to portion them out. Happily, Ive included a top-secret restaurant trick for making lots of small meatballs very quickly, by using your hand as a sort of extruding device. Spoiler alert: its pretty vulgar (but highly efficient).
By the way, this lamb meatballs recipe video was done as part of a special feature my friends over at The Daily Meal are doing. Once a week they have something called "Recipe SWAT Team," where they tackle a new ingredient with one goal in mind: creating easy and delicious dishes.This week it was "Recipe SWAT Team: Meatballs," and I was asked to throw on my bullet-proof vest, grow a mustache to look more like a cop, and bust through the door both barrels blazing. You can check out the entire feature here, and see some other great meatball recipes.
I hope you give this delicious lamb and eggplant recipe a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
1 eggplant, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup minced onion
red pepper flakes to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup marinara sauce
1½ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chiffonade
For meatballs:
1 large egg
1½ tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
4 cloves finely minced garlic
¼ cup finely minced onions
1 pound ground lamb
View the complete recipe
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Eggplant dip and Red Bean dip Party starters
Dip, dip, dip!Sometimes, you just want something light to nibble for dinner. While Ive labelled this recipe under Party Starters, you need not necessarily have a party to enjoy this kind of finger food. This is perfect stuff to share with your partner while watching your favourite movie on a Friday evening.
My evening menu this Friday was oven baked roti chips, plenty of them to dip into an oven roasted eggplant dip called the Badenjan dip and a red kidney bean dip. The Badenjan dip is quite different in preparation and taste, from the Baba Gannouj which Ive shared earlier with you. While it may sound light, it is quite filling as the components are the same as any other Indian meal - Chips (roti), Eggplant dip (Vegetable) and Kidney bean dip (Dal / Lentils). This can be served with a salad like Fattoush and you have a complete meal.
For a party, Id highly recommend Nigellas own spread for exotic evenings from her book Feast - Pita chips with Eggplant dip, Red bean dip, Fattoush, a Bulghur salad and the tiny lamb meatballs. You can get recipes for the entire exotic menu from her Nigella Feats show.
Eggplant goes exotic!Badenjan Dip / Roasted eggplant dip with pine-nuts and mint
Category - Dip for toasted pita chips or pita bread, Party starter
Serves - 4
Time taken - 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours depending on how you roast the eggplant
Source - Nigella Feasts
ingredients
1 large roasting eggplant to make about 1 1/4 cups when roasted, pulped and sieved
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
1 large onion, finely diced
3 fat cloves garlic, minced or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup homemade / Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, to garnish
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, to garnish
directions
Roasting the eggplant - You could do this in a broiler or direct on the flame.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Dribble extra-virgin olive oil, to garnish. Prick the eggplants with a fork and put them on a baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft to the touch. Allow to cool before peeling and mashing them, then leave the pulp in a sieve to drain.
Alternately prick the eggplant and keep it on a medium flame. Rotate at intervals so that the whole exterior is charred and interior is pulpy. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until golden and then add the drained eggplant mush, cooking it with the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat, stirring frequently. Take off the heat and turn into a bowl to cool and season with salt and pepper. Add the yogurt to the cooled eggplant mixture together with the saffron in the now golden water, stirring together well. Turn into a bowl and sprinkle over the mint, toasted pine nuts, and a dribble of oil.
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
1 large onion, finely diced
3 fat cloves garlic, minced or grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup homemade / Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, to garnish
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, to garnish
directions
Roasting the eggplant - You could do this in a broiler or direct on the flame.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Dribble extra-virgin olive oil, to garnish. Prick the eggplants with a fork and put them on a baking sheet and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft to the touch. Allow to cool before peeling and mashing them, then leave the pulp in a sieve to drain.
Alternately prick the eggplant and keep it on a medium flame. Rotate at intervals so that the whole exterior is charred and interior is pulpy. This will take roughly 10-15 minutes.
Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until golden and then add the drained eggplant mush, cooking it with the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat, stirring frequently. Take off the heat and turn into a bowl to cool and season with salt and pepper. Add the yogurt to the cooled eggplant mixture together with the saffron in the now golden water, stirring together well. Turn into a bowl and sprinkle over the mint, toasted pine nuts, and a dribble of oil.
Note
I served this with oven-baked roti-chips. Make regular thin rotis from whole wheat flour. Cook them very lightly on both sides and keep aside. Dont put them directly on flame to puff them etc. Cut the rotis into triangles and spread in a single layer. Bake them in a 250C oven for around 5-7 minutes till they are light brown and crisp. Store in airtight container.
Dont miss out on the saffron and the mint. These two spices lend the touch of exotica that youd never find in a Baba Gannouj or any other roasted eggplant dip recipe.
This is my entry for Meetas Monthly Mingle - Arabian Nights
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Monday, January 20, 2014
KATHRIKAI MURUNGAKAI PORIYAL EGGPLANT AND DRUMSTICK CURRY
KATHRIKAI MURUNGAKAI PORIYAL (EGGPLANT AND DRUMSTICK CURRY)
This is my mom’s favorite poriyal. She makes this often. I never liked this poriyal that much before I got marriage. These days, I am crazy about eggplants and it has been one of my favorite veggies ever since. There are different variations to this poriyal. My mil adds tomato to this poriyal and sometimes my mom adds a potato cut into small cubes and then tops it off with grated coconut. It tastes great both ways. I make it with a slight twist by adding a teaspoon of sambar powder.
This is my entry for Fall in love with Brinjal event hosted by Sanghi from http://www.sanghi-tastybites.blogspot.com/
INGREDIENTS:
Eggplants, medium-sized, 3. If Japanese eggplants are used, only one is required.
Drumsticks, 2. (choose drumsticks with medium to thin stalks). Precut frozen drumsticks are available in regular Indian stores.
Small onions, 2.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Sambar powder, 1 teaspoon (optional).
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
PREPARATION:
Dice the onion finely. Cut the drumsticks into long thin pieces. If a thick drumsticks are used, peel the other skin. Cut the eggplant into small pieces and put them in cold water to prevent them from blackening. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil turns hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the drumsticks, along with the powders, ginger-garlic paste, and salt as per taste. Add enough water just to cover the drumstick and cook closed under medium flame for 10 minutes until the drumsticks are well cooked. Then add the chopped eggplant pieces and mix well. Cook closed under low-to-medium flame until the eggplants are tender and the curry is dry. Switch off the stove, garnish the dish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapathis.
Variation: The drumsticks can be cooked in microwave and then added along with eggplants to reduce cooking time.
This is my mom’s favorite poriyal. She makes this often. I never liked this poriyal that much before I got marriage. These days, I am crazy about eggplants and it has been one of my favorite veggies ever since. There are different variations to this poriyal. My mil adds tomato to this poriyal and sometimes my mom adds a potato cut into small cubes and then tops it off with grated coconut. It tastes great both ways. I make it with a slight twist by adding a teaspoon of sambar powder.
This is my entry for Fall in love with Brinjal event hosted by Sanghi from http://www.sanghi-tastybites.blogspot.com/
INGREDIENTS:
Eggplants, medium-sized, 3. If Japanese eggplants are used, only one is required.
Drumsticks, 2. (choose drumsticks with medium to thin stalks). Precut frozen drumsticks are available in regular Indian stores.
Small onions, 2.
Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
Sambar powder, 1 teaspoon (optional).
Salt as per taste.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
PREPARATION:
Dice the onion finely. Cut the drumsticks into long thin pieces. If a thick drumsticks are used, peel the other skin. Cut the eggplant into small pieces and put them in cold water to prevent them from blackening. Heat a pan with some oil. When the oil turns hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the diced onions and sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the drumsticks, along with the powders, ginger-garlic paste, and salt as per taste. Add enough water just to cover the drumstick and cook closed under medium flame for 10 minutes until the drumsticks are well cooked. Then add the chopped eggplant pieces and mix well. Cook closed under low-to-medium flame until the eggplants are tender and the curry is dry. Switch off the stove, garnish the dish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapathis.
Variation: The drumsticks can be cooked in microwave and then added along with eggplants to reduce cooking time.
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