You can fritter away money or time, but once you've 'frittered' brinjals, time stands still and even money can't buy its taste. Just kidding. This recipe gives you the simplest, tastiest way to eat brinjal. It involves practically no effort. The key is to slice the brinjals really thin and choose slightly firm ones that are just about to ripen. By the way, botanists hold that brinjal (or aubergine) is not a vegetable but a fruit.
Brinjal often has a slightly bitter taste. When cooked, however, it turns fleshy, absorbing large amounts of oil, butter or sauce and develops a rich, complex flavour. Salting and rinsing the sliced brinjal will also help reduce the bitterness as well as the absorption of fats.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1 large brinjal, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
2 cups rice flour
1/4 tsp salt for batter
A pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Oil for shallow-frying
Additional salt to sprinkle over the sliced brinjals
Hint: 15 mins; Serves 3 ; mango pickle or chutney
METHOD
Sprinkle some salt on the brinjal slices and set aside for 15 minutes.
Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. In a bowl, mix the rice flour, salt and chilli powder together. Now coat the brinjal slices with the flour and masala mixture.
In a work, heat the oil for frying. Shallow-fry the brinjal slices till golden. Serve hot, with a good Maharashtrian meal of Varan Bhaat and mango pickle.
BHINDI FATAFAT
To me, ladyfingers (or okra, as they are also known) are controversial. There are the okra-lovers and there are the okra-haters. For many people, ladyfingers are gooey and slimy. But I know too many fans of the ladyfinger, who swear by the slender, green vegetable. In parts of the eastern and south Meditterranean, where okra is hugely popular, they cook it without cutting, and by tossing it in salt and vinegar, allowing it to marinate for an hour or so. This makes it less slimy. You can also dry in it the sun after salting it. Back home, we fry a lot of bhindi, sometimes slicing it so fine that it turns into crisp fritters in the oil. However, if you like okra the way I suppose god mean it to be - soft, gooey and slimy - toss in onions as well, as shown in the recipe below.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
500 gm ladyfingers
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tomato, diced
2 green chillies, slit
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 garlic clove, bruised
8-10 curry leaves
2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
1 cup water
Hint: 20 mins; Serves 4 ; hot chapati, or dal an rice
METHOD
Remove the heads and tips of the ladyfingers and slice them diagonally.
Heat water in a pan. Add the sliced ladyfingers along with the onion, tomato and green chillies. There should be enough water in the pan to cover the vegetables. Sprinkle some salt.
Bring the vegetables to a boil and then simmer for about 6-8 minutes, or until the ladyfingers seem tender.
In a small frying pan, heat coconut oil, then temper with mustard seeds, garlic and curry leaves for about 30 seconds. Pour this tempering onto the cooked ladyfingers.
Cover and cook the dish for a few minutes more till all the water has evaporated.
Serve hot.
PHODNICHI CHAPATI
A simple version of the Tamilian Kotthu Paratha (see recipe on later), this Maharashtrian speciality is also made with leftover rotis. It is sometimes called Phonnichi Chapati or simply Kuskara, which means crumpled. If you don't have any stale rotis, you could also try this recipe with old slices of bread. In a variation of this recipe, you could replace all the ingredients with a little ghee, crushed jaggery and some sesame seeds. Combine these thoroughly with stale roti into a soft mixture and roll into small balls. Voila! You have a very tasty ladoo!
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
4-6 stale rotis
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, roasted and ground
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1/2 a cup of coriander leaves, finely chopped
Hint: 15 mins; Serves 2 ; plain yoghurt or raita
METHOD
Tear the rotis into coarse pieces. Set them aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds begin to pop and crackle, add in the turmeric powder, green chillies and curry leaves.
When the oil turns fragrant, mix in the ground peanuts and onion, and fry for a minute or so.
Now mix the shredded pieces of roti and fry for 3-4 minutes. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, till the mixture turns soft. (Otherwise, the dish will turn out crisp and crunchy.) Once cooked, take the pan off the flame and add salt, sugar and lemon juice.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
HINGATELACHE VATANE
I have memories of all the ladies in the house shelling green peas. One by one, they would pry open the shells, diligently looking for worms that hid behind the peas to avoid discovery. Therefore, the advent of frozen peas was a blessing. Green peas are also one of those rare preserved vegetables that actually taste good when cooked. To maintain my peace of mind, I avoid reading the information supplied on the pack to keep unpalatable revelations at bay. Being frozen doesn't change their flavour and that's what really matters. Hingatelache Vatane was the first dish that I learned to cook when I moved out of my parents' home. It barely takes any time at all to cook green peas with asafoetida in oil.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
The kitchen King Masala
1 tbsp grated coconut
2 tsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp corainder-cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp sugar
The Main Dish
2 cups green peas
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
Hint: 15 mins; Serves 4 ; chapati
METHOD
Simply mix together all the ingredients listed (the chopped corainder, grated coconut, coriander-cumin seeds powder, red chilli powder and sugar). Keep aside.
In a work, heat oil and add the mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter and crackle. Then add asafoetida and saute for a few seconds. Add the green peas, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kitchen King Masala and salt. Pour half a cup of water and stir well. Cook on a low flame until the green peas are soft and all the water has evaporated.
Serve hot.
Brinjal often has a slightly bitter taste. When cooked, however, it turns fleshy, absorbing large amounts of oil, butter or sauce and develops a rich, complex flavour. Salting and rinsing the sliced brinjal will also help reduce the bitterness as well as the absorption of fats.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1 large brinjal, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
2 cups rice flour
1/4 tsp salt for batter
A pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Oil for shallow-frying
Additional salt to sprinkle over the sliced brinjals
Hint: 15 mins; Serves 3 ; mango pickle or chutney
METHOD
Sprinkle some salt on the brinjal slices and set aside for 15 minutes.
Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. In a bowl, mix the rice flour, salt and chilli powder together. Now coat the brinjal slices with the flour and masala mixture.
In a work, heat the oil for frying. Shallow-fry the brinjal slices till golden. Serve hot, with a good Maharashtrian meal of Varan Bhaat and mango pickle.
BHINDI FATAFAT
To me, ladyfingers (or okra, as they are also known) are controversial. There are the okra-lovers and there are the okra-haters. For many people, ladyfingers are gooey and slimy. But I know too many fans of the ladyfinger, who swear by the slender, green vegetable. In parts of the eastern and south Meditterranean, where okra is hugely popular, they cook it without cutting, and by tossing it in salt and vinegar, allowing it to marinate for an hour or so. This makes it less slimy. You can also dry in it the sun after salting it. Back home, we fry a lot of bhindi, sometimes slicing it so fine that it turns into crisp fritters in the oil. However, if you like okra the way I suppose god mean it to be - soft, gooey and slimy - toss in onions as well, as shown in the recipe below.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
500 gm ladyfingers
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tomato, diced
2 green chillies, slit
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 garlic clove, bruised
8-10 curry leaves
2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt to taste
1 cup water
Hint: 20 mins; Serves 4 ; hot chapati, or dal an rice
METHOD
Remove the heads and tips of the ladyfingers and slice them diagonally.
Heat water in a pan. Add the sliced ladyfingers along with the onion, tomato and green chillies. There should be enough water in the pan to cover the vegetables. Sprinkle some salt.
Bring the vegetables to a boil and then simmer for about 6-8 minutes, or until the ladyfingers seem tender.
In a small frying pan, heat coconut oil, then temper with mustard seeds, garlic and curry leaves for about 30 seconds. Pour this tempering onto the cooked ladyfingers.
Cover and cook the dish for a few minutes more till all the water has evaporated.
Serve hot.
PHODNICHI CHAPATI
A simple version of the Tamilian Kotthu Paratha (see recipe on later), this Maharashtrian speciality is also made with leftover rotis. It is sometimes called Phonnichi Chapati or simply Kuskara, which means crumpled. If you don't have any stale rotis, you could also try this recipe with old slices of bread. In a variation of this recipe, you could replace all the ingredients with a little ghee, crushed jaggery and some sesame seeds. Combine these thoroughly with stale roti into a soft mixture and roll into small balls. Voila! You have a very tasty ladoo!
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
4-6 stale rotis
1 medium onion, chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, roasted and ground
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1/2 a cup of coriander leaves, finely chopped
Hint: 15 mins; Serves 2 ; plain yoghurt or raita
METHOD
Tear the rotis into coarse pieces. Set them aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard seeds begin to pop and crackle, add in the turmeric powder, green chillies and curry leaves.
When the oil turns fragrant, mix in the ground peanuts and onion, and fry for a minute or so.
Now mix the shredded pieces of roti and fry for 3-4 minutes. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, till the mixture turns soft. (Otherwise, the dish will turn out crisp and crunchy.) Once cooked, take the pan off the flame and add salt, sugar and lemon juice.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
HINGATELACHE VATANE
I have memories of all the ladies in the house shelling green peas. One by one, they would pry open the shells, diligently looking for worms that hid behind the peas to avoid discovery. Therefore, the advent of frozen peas was a blessing. Green peas are also one of those rare preserved vegetables that actually taste good when cooked. To maintain my peace of mind, I avoid reading the information supplied on the pack to keep unpalatable revelations at bay. Being frozen doesn't change their flavour and that's what really matters. Hingatelache Vatane was the first dish that I learned to cook when I moved out of my parents' home. It barely takes any time at all to cook green peas with asafoetida in oil.
RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
The kitchen King Masala
1 tbsp grated coconut
2 tsp fresh coriander, chopped
1 tsp corainder-cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp sugar
The Main Dish
2 cups green peas
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
Hint: 15 mins; Serves 4 ; chapati
METHOD
Simply mix together all the ingredients listed (the chopped corainder, grated coconut, coriander-cumin seeds powder, red chilli powder and sugar). Keep aside.
In a work, heat oil and add the mustard seeds. Let the seeds splutter and crackle. Then add asafoetida and saute for a few seconds. Add the green peas, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, Kitchen King Masala and salt. Pour half a cup of water and stir well. Cook on a low flame until the green peas are soft and all the water has evaporated.
Serve hot.
No comments:
Post a Comment