HAPPY COOKING:MASALA BAINGAN/EGG PLANT….INDIAN MASALA


Dear ‘Single’ Friend,

During my visit to the vegetable market this morning, I spotted a basket full of small baingan/egg plant, bright and deep purple in color. I could not resist the temptation of purchasing and immediately thought of you to try, and add this dish to your menu. It’s definitely going to evoke curiosity from your colleagues during the lunch hour, in the office / at the site of work.

If you have following my recipe so far, you would have noted that I have kept the cooking to its simplest form and not made you do anything fancy nor have asked you to indulge in exotic Masala.

I estimate that you are now ready to be initiated to add some blended Masala to your preparations.


You will require, for two servings:


250 gms small purple baingan/egg plant.
01 medium tomato-diced fine.
02 small onion-diced fine.
01 large piece ginger, 06 pods garlic.
03 fresh green chilly.
½ cup fresh coriander leaves.
04 Tps tamarind sauce (0ptional)/ Juice of 01 lime.
01 tps turmeric powder, coriander powder, curry powder, amchoor/dry mango powder, jeera/cumin & red chilly powder. Salt to taste.
Cooking oil to deep fry and later to sauté Masala.
Water.




METHOD



Step One

Make paste of - green chilly, ½ of the fresh coriander, ginger & garlic.
Mix, ¼ of all the dry Masala and generous pinch of salt.
Wash the baingan, pat dry and make deep ¾ th incisions on each of the egg plant in a manner that it divides the veggie into four, but continues to be held together at the stem.
Rub in, in the inside, the mix Masala & leave in a bit more as stuffing in each of the egg plant. If need be, wrap a length of a clean thread around to hold the Masala in.
Deep fry each till golden brown, drain and keep aside.




Step Two


Take a wok / kadai, put in 03 Tps cooking oil, on low flame. Upon heating, sprinkle the jeera and fry till golden.
Put in the green paste, and stir fry till light golden.
3. Increase the flame to medium and add the onion. Stir fry to deep golden.
4. Sprinkle in all the dry Masala, stir fry-add tomato. Fry, stir to sauté.
5. If using tamarind sauce, now pour in and blend & sauté.
6. If not using- put in a few spoons of water to blend the Masala. Add salt to taste.
7. Stir fry, keep adding water, spoon by spoon, to keep the blend moist and ensure it does not stick to the bottom and caramalise.
8. Now, put in the fried baingan, lightly mix to help cover all the egg plant with the sautéed blended Masala.
9. Reduce the flame to low and pour in 50ml water, cover to cook for 05-06 minutes.
10. Uncover, evaporate excess water, if still there in the vessel.
11. Remove from fire, sprinkle in the lime juice as per requirement, if not using tamarind sauce.
12. Garnish with fresh coriander before serving in an appropriate dish.



Best served with Chapatti,


November 18, 2009