Baingan Bharta (serves 3-4 people)
1 large eggplant (or 2 medium-sized)
1 white medium sized onion, chopped fine
3 tomatoes (crushed, chunky)
1.5 tablespoons crushed ginger
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
.5 green chili chopped fine
1.5 teaspoon lemon juice
.5 teaspoon garam masala
.5 teaspoon cumin seeds (jiru)
.5 teaspoon turmeric (hardar)
Salt to taste
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the eggplant and stab the eggplan 5-6 times around. Put the eggplants in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, turning periodically so you don't burn one side. Be sure to put them on a rack with a tray below as water will release from the eggplants as they cook.
- Once eggplants look soft and roasted, take them out of the oven and put them in a plastic bag and seal it for a few minutes to help separate the skin from the eggplant. Then remove the skin and mash up the inside of the eggplant with a fork.
- Heat up a few drops of oil in a saucepan/pot and add the jiru.
- Stir in the onions until lightly browned, then add the tomatoes.
- Add all of the masala including hardar, salt, garam masala, ginger, garlic and chopped chillies.
- Stir for 1-2 minutes, then add the roasted mashed up eggplant with a little bit of water. Stir for a few minutes and then cover and leave to cook for 7-10 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and then serve with coriander garnish.
Saag Paneer (serves 3-4 people)
16 oz can chopped spinach
1 pack paneer, cubed
.5 medium sized white onion, crushed
.5 green chili, crushed
1.5 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon garlic
.5 teaspoon garam
masala
.5 teaspoon cumin (jiru)
4 tablespoons cream
Salt to taste
- Crush the onion, green chili, garlic and ginger into a paste
- Heat up a few drops of oil in a pot and add the jiru
- Drain the spinach in the tin and then add to the pot, add a little bit of water
- Cover and cook the spinach for 20-25 minutes, stirring regularly so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot
- Once spinach is cooked, remove from the pot and heat up a few drops of oil in the pot
- Add the paste you made and stir until lightly browned, then add the garam masala
- Mix in the cooked spinach and salt to taste, You might have to add a little bit of water if the mixture is too thick.
- Use a hand blender to blend the mixture in the pot completely. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Heat up a separate nonstick skillet on medium heat and add the paneer cubes (no oil is needed, as oils release from the paneer when you cook it). Lightly grill the paneer and then remove from heat.
- Now add the cream to the saag mixture and stir it in.
- Then add the paneer and serve with coriander garnish.
5 fistfuls of black urad dal
1 fistful of red kidney beans
.5 medium-sized white onion, chopped fine
1 tomato, crushed
1.5 tablespoon crushed ginger
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
.5 green chili, chopped in large pieces
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or tandoori red powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
.5 teaspoon cumin (jiru)
5-7 tablespoons fresh cream
Salt to taste
- Cook the urad dal and kidney beans in a pressure cooker for 12-15 minutes. Keep the water after it is cooked (it should look like a deep red colour).
- Put a few drops of oil in a pot and add the jiru
- Add the chopped onions and saute until lightly browned
- Add the chopped tomato along with the ginger, garlic, garam masala and Kashmiri red chili powder or tandoori red powder. Stir for a minute or two.
- Add the cooked daal with the water from the pressure cooker. Add the chunks of green chili and salt to taste.
- Cover the pot and cook for 1-2 hours if possible to get the best taste. Stir regularly to make sure dal doesn't stick to bottom of pot and add water as necessary during the cooking process.
- Once the dal is cooked and has thickened to the right consistency, add cream and garnish with coriander when serving.
Happy cooking! And if you have a recipe you think the rest of us would love to try, please do share! We all love good homemade food :)
