Baingan Bartha

Baingan is Brinjal and this dish is more like a ‘kathirikai masiyal’ that we’ve in south India. Here we like to eat it with steamed rice while in north it is preferred with rotis mainly. Traditionally for Baigan ka bartha, large eggplants are chosen and charred on stove before the skin is peeled to prepare bartha as I din’t get large ones I just chopped them fine and used in the recipe. This is so flavourful and totally different in texture from other Brinjal recipes and so even people who detest Brinjal would like to try it.

Serves:  3

Preparation Time:  10 minutes

Cooking Time:  15 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Brinjal large – 1 or small -4

2.    Tomato large – 1

3.    Onion medium – 1

4.    Salt to taste

5.     Oil – 1 tbsp

6.    Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp

7.     Asafoetida – 1 pinch

8.    Coriander powder – 1 tsp

9.    Chili powder – 1 tsp

10. Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped

Method:

Step 1: Char the large brinjal directly on stove on all sides. Cool it, wash, peel the skin and slit to check for worms and mash it with masher chop if using small ones.

Step 2: Alternatively chop the small brinjals into small cubes as I have done.

Step 3: Heat oil in a tawa, temper with cumin seeds and asafoetida.

Step 4: Sauté with it finely chopped onions then add coriander, chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt in that order. 

Step 5: Add little water if required and let it get cooked. Add chopped brinjal if using small ones and mash it using potato masher.

Step 6: Else when done add the mashed large brinjal to it and stir well.

Step 7: Serve with rice/ rotis.

Praline

Praline for me was an accidental discovery. I was trying to prepare taagar/ bura for urad ladoos but I had mistakenly added less water than required; hence turned darker. I can pat my back for the presence of mind to add some butter and melon seeds to transform my blunder into a sweet outcome.

Serves:  NA

Preparation Time:  NA

Cooking Time:  15 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Sugar – 1 cup

2.    Water – ¼ cup

3.    Melon seeds – 2 tbsp (can be substituted by almonds or peanuts or so )

4.    Butter – 1 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Mix sugar and water and heat it by constantly stirring it.

Step 2: The sugar dissolves, then thickens and then turns into honey colour.

Step 3: At this stage, butter and melon seeds to it and turn off heat.

Step 4: Stir well and pour immediately into a butter greased plate or tray to about 1/8^th on an inch’s thickness. Slightly thicker is ok, just that it takes more time to solidify.

Step 5: Once it comes to room temperature, remove the praline using a knife tip or back of the spoon or fork.

Step 6: Store it in an airtight container until use, preferably use it within a week.

Step 7: This can be relished just as we do candies or can be crushed and dressed on ice-creams or milkshakes or garnished on desserts.

Creamy Tomato Macroni

This is another delectable macaroni dish that I had tried during my early kitchen days and repeated recently. It is really simple to make and better be eaten within a couple of hours otherwise the tomato might react with milk and cream and get curdled.

Serves:  2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time:  15 minutes

Ingredients:

1.      Macaroni – 2 cups

2.    Tomato – 2

3.    Onion - 1

4.    Cream – ½ cup

5.     Milk – if required

6.    Salt to taste

7.     White pepper crushed – ½ tsp

8.    Butter – 1 tbsp

9.    Oil – 1 tsp

10.   Italian seasoning – 1 tsp (optional)

11.   Cheese grated – as per liking

Method:

Step 1: Slice the onion and tomatoes and sauté them in butter until soft.

Step 2: Cool it to room temperature and grind it into smooth paste.

Step 3: In parallel cook the macaroni with salt, drain the water and toss with a few drops of oil.

Step 4: Now bring the ground paste to boil and add salt, pepper, cream and the Italian seasoning.

Step 5: Add in the cooked macaroni and add some milk just to adjust the consistency.

Step 6: Serve hot garnished with grated cheese if you like.