Baghare Baingan - Eggplants in a nutty gravy

I am a self confessed brinjal lover. I am always on the lookout for new ideas. I regularly eat the bharta,the bhaja,the pora(chargrilled),the baked - just about everything. One fine morning I just googled to know of more brinjal recipes and that's how I discovered Baghare Baingan. I am kicking myself for not making it earlier. Its like giving a super royal treatment to the the aubergines and turning them into this delicious dish without much sweat. Typically (and me too) used baby brinjals but one could easily use the big variety, just cut them into thick roundels.

 

Ingredients :

Brinjals - 8-10 the small sized ones

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt - to taste

Onion - 1 medium sized - roughly chopped

Garlic - 2 pods - crushed

Ginger - a small piece - crushed

Green chillies - 2-3 - adjust as per taste

Peanuts - a handful

Dessicated coconut - 1 tbsp. You could also use fresh coconut pieces

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp for frying the brinjals

For tempering -

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 2-3

Fresh coriander - for garnish

Method:

Wash the brinjals. Pat dry and make deep slits in it keeping them joined at the stem. Smear a pinch of turmeric and salt and keep aside.

In a pan , heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté the brinjals. Drain and keep aside for further use.

In the same pan , add the chopped onion , garlic and ginger. Fry till fragrant. Add the chillies, peanuts, coconut,poppy seeds,coriander seeds and cumin seeds and sauté till slightly browned. Season with salt.

Remove from heat and set this mixture aside to cool. Once cooled, grind this mixture into a smooth paste .

In another pan, add a little oil and splutter the mustard seeds and dried red chillies. Next tip in the brinjals and the masala paste. Give it a good stir and add some warm water to adjust the consistency of the gravy.

Give it a gentle simmer and garnish with some fresh coriander.

Enjoy the nutty gravy with soft brinjals along with some steamed rice.




 

Happiness on a plate - Grilled Aubergine on Garlic Toast with a Tomato Salsa

Brinjal/Aubergine is a very versatile vegetable..well I could be biased when I say that because I simply love it. Begun Bhaja and Baingan Bharta are my absolute favourite.But sadly the boys in my house are not fond of the vegetable at all.I am however always on the lookout for new and innovative way to try out the brinjal.On my last trip to Delhi , one of my fave aunts took me to a quaint little cafe somewhere in GK( sorry I don't remember the name ) for some coffee but the hungry (or greedy maybe) wanted to eat something. A dish on the menu appealed to me instantly - an open sub sandwich with grilled aubergines.The dish was innovative but it lacked flavour and was not seasoned right. I had thought of recreating the dish but forgot about it for a long time and remembered it again now.So today I made it at home my way - Grilled Aubergine on Garlic Toast with a Tomato Salsa. If brinjal appeals to you , you are surely gonna love this dish.

 Ingredients:

Brinjal/ Aubergine - 1 medium round - cut into thin round slices

Tomato - 1 large - finely chopped

Yellow/red bell pepper - 1 small - finely chopped

Garlic - 3-4 pods- crushed

Onion - 1 medium - finely chopped

Tomato puree - 2 tbsp - I used Dabur Homemade

Basil leaves - 4-5 - finely chopped + few for garnish

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Feta cheese - 2 tbsp - crumbled

Oregano - 1 tsp

Chilli flakes - 1 tsp or more if you like it that way

Black pepper - 1 tsp  - crushed

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 1 pinch

Garlic bread - few slices

Method:

For the salsa:

In a pan heat the olive oil , add the crushed garlic and the chopped onions. Saute till translucent.Tip in the chopped tomatoes and the bell pepper. Add the tomato puree , oregano and the red chilli flakes. Cook till the mix gets mushy , remove from heat and keep aside. Let there be a crunch in the salsa.

  Now getting on with grilling the  aubergines and the toast. Just season the sliced aubergines with salt and pepper and grill them on a very hot pan. Also slightly toast the garlic bread slices along with it. This takes about 2 mins on each side.

 Take the grilled aubergines off the pan and assemble on top of the garlic toast. Put a spoonful of salsa on the top and garnish with a generous crumble of the feta cheese.

Serve hot with a side of some extra salsa.