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Egg Plant Curry with Lentils and More

Ingredients:

Thai Egg Plant (Small Brinjal or Aubergines) - 2 Lb / 1 Kg

Toor Dal (Split Pigeon Peas) - 1 Oz / 30g

Urad Dal (Dehusked and Split Black Gram Lentils) - 1 Oz /30 g

Moong Dal (Dehusked and Split Mung Beans) - 1 Oz / 30g

Chana Dal (Split Chick Peas) - 1 Oz / 30g

Sesame Seeds - 1 Oz / 30 g

Peanuts - 1 Oz / 30g

Garlic - 5-6 cloves (Smash or cut into small pieces)

Ginger - 1 Oz / 30 g (Cut into small pieces)

Green Chillies (small) - 4

Curry Leaf (Optional) - 5-6 leaves

Turmeric (Optional) - 1/2 Tea spoon

Black Pepper (Optional) - 1/2 Table Spoon

Coriander/Cilantro Seed Power (Optional) - 1/2 Table Spoon

Cummin Power (Optional) - 1/2 Table spoon

Salt (for taste, start with 1 tea spoon, increase if you need more)

Tamarind Paste / Concentrate - 1 Table Spoon (Brand Used : Tamicon)

Onion - 1 large

Oil - enough

Pan with lid (Thick bottom ones are better)

Fresh Water at room temperature - 1 Cup

Coriander / Cilantro Leaves (Optional) - 1 bunch

Note: None of the ingredients need to be exact. Depending on what is available, you may change the measurements , drop ingredients. Taste will vary a little. Dont mess with salt though. (:p

Step 1 : Heat a pan and fry each of Toor dal, chana dal, urad dal, mung dal , sesame seeds and peanuts separately in very little oil. (Each should be done separately. If you mix, some will burn before others are done). Each are these are done when they turn a little red in color.

See below 1. Peanuts, 2. Urad dal 3. Mung Dal 4. Chana dal .5 Mung dal, 6. Sesame seeds

Step 2. Fry Cut Ginger, Garlic, Chilies, Curry leaves in Oil till tender. Add black pepper and turmeric and mix for a 10 seconds. Take it off the stove. Mix with lentils

Step 3: Mix Coriander power and Cummin power to the mix. and let it cool down.

Step 4: Blend the cooled mix. Doesn't need to be fine.

Step 5: Cut the Egg Plants in to Quarters or Eighths.

Cut Onions into small pieces. No need to show your finesse here. Cut however you like.

Step 6: Set Stove on medium heat. Bring a pan to heat (350F), add oil (4 - 5 tbsp). Fry Onions to tender, then add Egg plant. Cook both for about 5 minutes occasionally mixing. Don't let them burn.

Step 7: Add the blended mix of lentils. And mix well. Add Tamarind Concentrate. (This add acidity. If you are skipping. Tamarind, it will not taste any bad, just a little different. No worries) Add Salt to taste. I would say start with a 2 tsp of salt to start, if that is not enough, you can add more later. You know your taste, add accordingly. Mix well. Cook for 5 minutes mixing occasionally.

Step 8: Lower the heat. Add a cup of water. Mix. Put the Lid on. And let that cook for another 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it. Don't let it burn. (Mix if you need to) Let it cook for 5-10 minutes till water is absorbed.

Step 9: Once you don't see any water, check to see if the egg plant (aubergine) is cooked. Tip: If you press the spoon into it, the piece will break easily.

Cooking is done. Switch the stove off. Cut Coriander/Cilantro leaves into small pieces and mix them into the curry.

Let the curry sit with the lid on for another 5-10 minutes to cool down. Enjoy with Rice, Roti, Naan or eat it as it is.

#egg plant #curry #lentils #desi #kitchen #desi kitchen #indian kitchen

Vegetable Biryani

Biryani. The name itself is mouth watering.

The moment the word is heard, there is a taste of biryani on the tongue. Every one from Indian subcontinent will smell it in the air.

The roots of biryani are from Persia. Biryani means “Mixed Rice Dish”. The invaders and traders brought that to India, and India made it famous. There are a variety of biryani’s made in India. From North to south, from east to west, as you travel, the recipe, texture and taste will change.

The original recipe demands it to be a meat dish. But India housing a lot of non - meat eaters, recipes of Vegetarian and Vegan styles have evolved.

I being a Vegetarian, and having a good number of vegan friends, make it in vegan style.

The vegetables I use are not standard. I chose what ever is available and can be used. Taste and texture are more important to me than the standards for me.

Here are the spices for the Masala.

As I said earlier, the recipe is not a standard. Use the items as much as you like. Taste does vary with proportions. What is the point if it tastes like some one else’s? Start slow with small amounts and play with them.

Fresh Garlic, Ginger and Black pepper taste better.

Masala Preparation:

Step1. Crush Cardamom first and then dry roast the all spices on medium heat. The moment they start changing color, they are done. The smell is refreshing. Take off the stove and keep them aside to cool down.

Step 2: Once cooled , grind all the spices except the bay leaf.

Apart from the above you will need

1. Chilli pepper - (as may as you like)., slice them thin

2. Salt

3. Butter or Oil (Peaanut, Canola, Sunflower anything works)

4. Onion -1 (Big, Red or Yellow) thinly sliced.

5. Basmathi Rice - 1 Cup (Use any rice of your choice)

6. A mix of vegetables ~ 1 pound (500g)

7. Lemon Juice - 2 table spoons - optional

Step 0: Soak rice in Water for 10 mins.

Step 1: Start boiling 2-3 cups of water in a pan that can cook about 5 cups of rice.

Step 2: Strain rice out of water and add to boiling Water. Turn the heat to medium. Keep the lid on the pan.

Rice will be ready in 5 minutes. So keep an eye on it.

You can use any vegetables of your choice.

Step 3: Start heating a another big Pan to medium hot. Then add butter or Oil to it.

Step 5: Fry onions till they start caramelizing.

Step 6. Add the grinded Masala, bay leaves, Chilis, to Onions and fry them for about 2 minutes.

Step 7: By this time, your rice should be ready, Simmer the heat or shut off heat under rice completely.

Step 8: Start adding Vegetables to Onions and Masala and fry them for about 2-3 minutes till all the vegetables start to tender

Step 9: Add a table spoon of salt.

Step 10: Add a cup of water to the vegetables and let them cook for a 2- minutes.

Rice is not totally cooked, you ll feel it as a little hard to touch. If it is totally cooked, and you feel it mushy, you ll end up with a little sticky biryani. Next time reduce the amount of water

Step 11: Take the rice,(If there is water, use a slotted spoon. We want only the rice) and spread over the vegetables. Do not mix yet. Put the lid on. Reduce heat to medium and let it cook.

I added a little butter on the top, You may or may not. Its your choice.

If you can, you can seal the pan so that no vapor escapes, that will make it Dum-Biryani. It would need you seal the edges of the pan with dough and add some heat on the top too. If your pan is Oven safe, then you can stick it in over at 300F for 15 mins.

Mine is not. And I am not making Dum-Biryani, So I just placed the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.

I checked for water at the bottom of the pan, so that it will not start burning.

Step 12: Once there is no water, you can turn the heat down and let it sit for another couple of minutes.

By this time, the rice will absorb all the vapor and get cooked. You should be able to feel that to touch.

And that’s it. Enjoy.

Fried Sweet Dumplings

Ingredients:

1. Maida (All Purpose Flour)

2. Sesame seeds

3. Jaggery (solidified Care sugar juice)

4. Dry Shredded Coconut

5. Split chick peas

6. Oil (Any kind will work)

7. Water

Pulverize Jaggery and Chick peas. grind Sesame seeds and shredded coconut to not so fine powder and mix with the Jaggery and Chick peas. Mix well. the oil from sesame seeds will give some wetness to the mixture. If you need more, add some water.