Bagara Baingan

I’ve made this Hyderabadi dish from Mona’s website. My family enjoyed this dish and thanks mona for this tasty dish. Bagara Baingan means ‘tempered brinjals’. This side dish is PREPARED IN MARRIAGES and big gatherings. I followed her recipe with only one change that is instead of coconut cream I used coconut milk.


Ingredients:
Brinjal/Baigan - 6 (small, round & purple)
Onion - 2 (sliced)
Sesame seeds - 1½ tbsp.
Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp.
Peanuts - ½ cup
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric - ½ tsp.
Coconut milk/Cream - 2 tbsp.
Cashew nuts - ½ cup (soaked in warm water for 30 min.)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp.
Jaggery - 30 g
Red chili powder - 2 tsp.
Small green chilies - 6
Salt (to taste)
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp.
Kalonji - 1 tsp.
Dry red chili - 2
Black mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp.
Tamarind concentrate - 2 to 3 tbsp.
Oil


Method:
Make four incisions perpendicular (X) from the base of each brinjal and the stem end should be intact.

Soak them in water with 1 tbsp. of salt. Keep aside.

In a frying pan, add 1 tbsp. of oil and sauté the onion till light brown color in medium heat. Remove them and cool.

In the same pan add poppy seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts and coriander seeds separately and roast them till an aroma rises without burning. Cool it. Remove the skin of peanuts. Now powder the poppy seeds, peanuts, coriander, sesame seeds.

Add the roasted onions, ground spices, thick coconut milk, ginger-garlic paste, jaggery, red chili powder, green chilies, cashew nuts and salt in a blender. Blend them into a smooth paste (if required add little water).

Drain the brinjals (make sure there’s no water in the brinjals) and add oil in a pan and shallow fry. Stir frequently and cover with a lid until they are tender. Gently remove them in a platter.

In a pan add ¼ cup of oil in medium heat and add the cumin seeds, dry red chili, fenugreek, kalonji and mustard seeds.

When mustard seeds start to splutter, lower the heat and add the blended smooth paste and cover for a minute (it’s essential as the paste combines with the tempering for a good flavor).

Open the lid and mix it all.

Cook uncovered for 8 minutes. If required, add little water and keep stirring the mixture occasionally.

Now add the shallow-fried brinjals and half cup water (or more if needed).

After some time when the brinjals are tender (after 10-15 minutes), add the tamarind concentrate and gently fold it in the curry.

Let it cook covered for at least 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot or cold. Do not reheat the dish.

Coconut cream and coconut milk:
This is for Mr. Ushnish Gosh.

1) For coconut cream, grate one whole coconut on the insides (not the coir). Add the grated coconut in 1 cup of warm water and soak them for 20 minutes. Now blend them along with the water into a thick paste. Now strain through a muslin cloth or through a small hole strainer. Keep this in a fridge for few hours and then you get a coconut cream. This can be used in fruit salsa and some baking. But I never tried this in home. If any leftover coconut cream dilute by adding water and convert into coconut milk.

2) Coconut milk: Grate one whole coconut i.e., the white flesh and soak them in 2 cups of warm water. Blend them and strain them. This is the thick milk or the first extract.

3) Now add 1 cup of water to the left over coconut gratings (which we used for first extract) and blend, strain. This is second extract or thin coconut milk.

4) Again add 1 cup of water to the same left over coconut gratings and blend & strain. This third extract or very thin coconut milk.

5) Thin and very thin coconut milk can be used for boiling process. But thick coconut milk is mostly added in the end of the cooking and immediately remove from the heat. Or else the milk will curdle.

Actually, I never soak in water and I directly prepare the milk. Increase and decrease the quantity of water and coconut gratings according to your use in the dishes. If you don’t have any grater, just remove the flesh from the shell and chop it into small pieces. Pulse them in the blender you get a grated or shredded coconut.

Sent off to "Think Spice: Think Poppy Seeds" event hosted by RV. Think Spice is originally started by Sunita Bhuyan.

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Makai Vadi

Ingredients:Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Yellow corn kernels - 1 cup (crushed)
Gram flour - 1 ½ cup
Rice flour - 1 tbsp.
Ginger-chili paste - 1 tbsp.
Garam masala - 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp. (roasted)
Lemon juice - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Asafetida - ¼ tsp.
Sodium bicarbonate - ¼ tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil (for frying)

Method:
Chop coriander leaves finely. Mix in the gram flour and rice flour and keep aside.
Add the corn kernels, ginger-chili paste, sesame seeds, lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric powder, asafoetida, baking soda and salt to the mixture.
Add water and make a batter of thick consistency. Mix well and remove the lumps.
Grease the vessel and pour the batter into the vessel.
Steam for about 30 minutes.
Check by inserting a skewer on all sides.
(I kept another 5 minutes in medium flame)
Cool and cut into triangles.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
Deep fry the pieces in hot oil until golden brown and crispy.
Remove from heat and serve hot with green chutney or tomato sauce.
R.C.

Sent off to EC's "WYF: Tea Time Snacks" event.

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Methi Gota

Methi Gota is a Gujarati snack. It is best to have it with ginger tea.

Ingredients:
Gram flour - 2 cups
Fenugreek (methi) leaves - 2 cups
Semolina (rava)- 3 tbsp.
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp. (crushed coarsely)
Baking soda - ½ tsp.
Black pepper - 1 tsp.
Yogurt - ½ cup
Coriander leaves (a handful) - chopped
Ginger - chili paste - 1 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Sugar (to taste)
Hot oil - 2 tbsp.
Oil (for frying)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in the gram flour except oil.
Add 2 tbsp. of hot oil and prepare a batter of thick consistency (if required add little water).
Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the batter in small rounds.
Fry until they are golden brown (fry in medium flame to ensure that the inside gets cooked thoroughly).
Drain on paper towels and serve with coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
RC

Sent off to 'WYF: Tea Time Snack' event.

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Orange Kheer

,OrangeThis is a bengali dessert. In the bengali language, it is called Kamla Lebur Kheer. Peeked it from Bong Mom’s Cookbook. Here is the original recipe. In this season we get loads, loads, loads…. (Phew!)..of oranges as we can select a good quality of them. This kheer has a divine taste and it’s simple to make.

Ingredients:
Oranges - 6
Whole milk - 1 litre
Condensed milk - ¾ can
Saffron - 2 pinches
Sugar - ½ cup

Method:
In a deep thick pan, add the milk and bring it to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and start stirring.
After sometime, add the condensed milk and stir.
Add the sugar and stir.
Stir the milk till it becomes ¼th the initial amount.
A smooth kheer is obtained without any burning.
Refrigerate the kheer for 1 hour.
Meanwhile peel the skin of oranges and remove all the thin film white segments also.
After 1 hr add the oranges to the kheer and refrigerate for 2 hrs.
Finally add the saffron strands and serve chill.

Sent off to 'JFI-Saffron' event hosted by DK (originally started by Mahanandi) and Sanghi's 'FIL-Fruits' event.

The Marigold flowers blossoming in the balcony match well with oranges for 'dish-flower' pairing.

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Vaazhaithandu/ plantain stem with oats

When I saw Priya’s Snake Gourd & Oats Kootu and Vazhakkai & Oats Kara Poriyal, I was inspired to make the plantain stem with oats.
The only difference is that instead of grated coconut, I added oats. The taste was good. As both are high in fiber content, it is good for health.

Ingredients:
Plantain stem (chopped) - 2 cups
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Oats - 1/3 cup
Curry leaves - 5 leaves
Sambar powder - ½ tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp.
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp.
Urad dal - ½ tsp.

Method:
Add the chopped plantain stems in 1 cup of buttermilk.
Heat the oil and add the tempering ingredients.
When mustard seeds splutter, add the onions and fry till translucent.
Add the plantain stems without buttermilk.
Add sambar powder and salt. Mix well.
If the stem is tender, add a little water to cook or if the stem is hard, add extra water to cook.
Once the stems are cooked and water gets evaporated, add the oats and curry leaves.
Reduce the heat and cook the oats by covering the kadai with a lid.
Mix in between to avoid burning.
Finally add the chopped coriander leaves which I had added in a very little quantity.
Serve as a side dish for rice.


Sent off to Saraswathi Iyer's "Oats Feast" event.

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Vazhaipoo/Plantain Flower Kootu

Ingredients:
Petals - from 1 plantain flower
Toor dal - 1/3 cup
Onions - 1 (chopped)
Garlic - 3 (crushed)
Tomato - 2 (chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - 5-6 leaves
Coconut milk (thin) - 1/3 cup.

To grind:
Green chilies - 4
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp.
Urad dal - ½ tsp.
Rice - 1 tsp.


Method:
Blend the petals in the blender.
Add this in 1 cup of buttermilk and mix well ( to avoid oxidation).
Boil the dal and keep aside.
Grind the green chilies and cumin seeds.
Heat oil and add the tempering ingredients.
When mustard splutter add the onion and garlic. Fry.
Add the curry leaves and add the tomatoes.
Sauté till it becomes pulpy.
Add the blended petals along with buttermilk.
When they are cooked add the boiled dal, ground paste, turmeric powder and salt.
Bring it to a boil.
Now add the coconut milk and remove immediately.
Mix well.
Serve hot.

Sent off to Sanjana's "Create for a Chilli Chopper" competition.

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