A la Bouquet Garni

Tips, tricks and gastronomic experiments

[alabouquetgarni]

Baingan Bharta

How to make Baingan Bharta?

Time of preparation: 30 minutes

Serves: 3 to 4 people

Accompanies: with roti or rice

Ingredients required:

Brinjal : 2

Garlic : 4 - 5 cloves chopped into smaller pieces

Tomato : 4 medium sized , chopped into small pieces

Onion : 4 medium sized, chopped into long thin strips

Green peas : 100 g peeled

Spring onion : 50 g, chopped into small pieces

Hing : A pinch

Coriander powder : 2 teaspoons

Jeera : 1 teaspoon

Mustard : 1/2 teaspoon

Green chillies : As per taste

Oil : 2 - 3 teaspoons

Curry leaves : A few leaves, washed in warm water

Turmeric powder : 1 teaspoon

Method:

Initial Preparation:

Keep all the masalas ready.

Wash the brinjals.

Grease the brinjal with oil and roast it over an open flame till it is cooked.

Cool and peel the skin.

Cut them into pieces and put them in a mixer.

Add a little turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon jeera powder and few drops of water and use the mixer to make it into a smooth paste.

Wash and chop the vegetables and keep them ready to be used.

Peel the garlic. Want to learn how to peel garlic easily?

Preparation:

Take a clean non-stick kadai and add the oil to it

Once the oil starts getting hot, add a pinch of Hing

Add the jeera and mustard seeds and wait till it starts splattering

Add the chopped garlic and green chillies

Add the curry leaves and fry a little

Once you get the smell of the spices , add onions and fry them till they get a little brown

Add the smooth paste of the brinjal in this and fry till it's well cooked.

Once the oil starts collecting on the side it's a sing that the brinjal is cooked so then add the green peas to the kadai and mix well.

Close the kadai with a lid and let it cook for a while.

Once the green peas are cooked, add the chopped tomatoes

Add salt to taste and close the lid once again and leave it in simmer mode.

After a few minutes, keep stirring the mix so it gets evenly cooked.

It would take about 20 minutes for the whole process

Finally, add the chopped spring onion and close the lid.

The baingan bharta is ready! Enjoy!

[alabouquetgarni]

How to peel garlic cloves easily?

Steps:

Separate the cloves from the bunch of garlic.

Keep them in a glass bowl

Microwave them for 30 seconds or less (stop when you hear pop sounds)

Take them out of the microwave

The dish + cloves are quite hot so handle with care

Start peeling the cloves

You'll see that they come out quite easily

Cheers!

[alabouquetgarni]

Paneer Kadai

How to make Paneer Kadai?

Time of preparation: 30 mins

Serves: 3-4

Accompanies: with roti or rice

Ingredients required:

Garlic : 4-5 cloves or 1 small bunch of garlic

Ginger : a small piece

Tomato : 5-6 medium sized

Onion : 5 onions

Saunf : 1 teaspoon

Coriander seeds: 1 teaspoon

Pepper kernels: 4

Laung : 3

Cardamom : 3

Dhania powder: 1 teaspoons

Turmeric powder: 1/4 teaspoon

Oil: 4 teaspoons

Paneer : 100g

Capsicum : 1 Green/Red/Yellow (Optional)

Method

0. Pre-preparation:

Keep all the masalas ready.

Wash the vegetables.

Soak the paneer in water for 30 minutes.

1. Initial preparation - Masala:

Add the saunf, coriander seeds, pepper kernels, Dhania powder, Laung and Cardamom in a small pan and roast them till the aroma starts filling the room.

Then, put them in a mixer. Before you add the cardamom in the mixer, remove the seeds from the cardamom and discard the cover.

Grind the powder in the mixer and continue till it's a fine powder.

2. Initial preparation - Onion + Tomato:

Slice 3 onions into thin strips and 4 tomatos into medium pieces.

Place the pan on the stove, switch it on and add 1 teaspoon of oil.

Now add the onions to the pan and keep tossing it around.

Fry till it becomes glossy, slightly brown and then add the tomatos.

Let it fry till the tomatoes become soft. To fasten the process one can add half a spoon of salt to it.

Keep mixing and cook till the tomatoes are all cooked and soft.

Add this mixture to the mixer which already has the masalas.

Now, mix it for about 30 seconds and then add some water to it.

Now mix it a little more till the mixture of masalas and tomato onion is all turned into a semi smooth liquid. Leave it aside.

Onto the main part.

3. Main preparation - Paneer + Masala + Vegetables:

Cut the paneer into small pieces and keep aside.

Grate the ginger and keep aside.

Peel the garlic cloves and crush them. For easier removal of peel, use this technique.

Cut onions and tomatoes into big pieces and keep aside.

Can also cut capsicums if you wish to add them.

Switch on the stove and place the pan.

Add 2-3 teaspoons of oil

Let it heat a little, then add the garlic and ginger to it (can also be garlic ginger paste) and keep tossing it so it can lose the raw smell.

Add the onions and let them cook a bit till they become translucent.

Add the capsicums and tomatoes and toss them around. Cook for around two minutes.

Add the masala mix from the mixer and mix it fully. Add the turmeric powder.

Add a little water and let it boil now.

Add the paneer pieces to the pan and mix till the paneer pieces are surrounded by the masala mix.

Close the pan with a lid and let it cook for a while.

Add some salt to taste. Cook for a few minutes till required.

Serve hot with rotis/rice.

Lastly, enjoy!