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Cranking up the heat…

Spring is almost here. But before it arrives, we always get a final snowfall. I’m just crossing my fingers and hoping that we witnessed that yesterday!

While it snowned outside, and hubby dear napped his way through the afternoon, I needed something warm. Nothing to eat or drink, but warmth for the home. I know turnin on the heat always seems as the obvious option, but not for me! When I want heat, I turn to my trusty stove. And yesterday, it was my oven that did it for me!

Baingan ka Bharta

Growing up, I always enjoyed Baingan ka Bharta. Truly, it was a family favourite. As I grew up and moved far away from home, I craved for it. The restaurant version never seems to have the same taste as that of Mom’s recipe. So I craved it even more!

Until one day, when I decided to give a call to my Mom and asked her for the recipe. She surprised me by making it sound so simple. Well, I did give it a try, and long-distance phone calls between me and Mom discussing recipes have gone on since!

Baingan ka Bharta (Indian Roasted Eggplant)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 mid-sized tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 1-inch chunk of ginger, finely chopped
  • 2-3 green chilles, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
    		•   
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/4 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • salt, to taste
    • 2 tbsp cooking oil
    • fresh chopped coriander leaves, for garnish

    Method:

    1. Make tiny slits all around the eggplant and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, till eggplant gets a charred coating on all sides.
    2. Remove the charred skin and mash insides of the eggplant. Set aside.
    3. Heat oil in a pan and saute cumin seeds, ginger and green chillies, till they begin to sizzle.
    4. Add in onions and fry till brown. Mix in salt, red chili powder and turmeric and fry spices till fragrant.
    5. Add tomatoes and cook till pulpy.
    6. Add mashed eggplant and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly to blend in well.
    7. Sprinkle with garam masala and garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy with warm, fluffy rotis.

    This entry was posted on Monday, March 20th, 2006 at 4:52 pm and is filed under Recipes: Vegan, Recipes: Vegetarian. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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