Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is one of the most famous and delicious dish made out of Brinjal. This is a Punjabi cuisine , of course now made around the world with numerous variations. My introduction to this dish is in a hotel in Australia. I never tasted this before and one of my friends ordered the dish as a side dish for biryani and roti. It tasted great , but then it was very very oily there. So that prompted me to try the dish at home and I loved it. This can be made out of brinjal of any kind and size. The smoky flavor of the brinjal with the tomatoes gives the dish a yummy taste and great color. This is my favorite side dish with Dum Biryani..

Ingredients :

• Brinjal : 1 large
• Onions : 2 (finely chopped)
• Tomatoes : 3 (finely chopped)
• Green peas : 1/2 cup(boiled)
• Ginger- garlic paste : 1 tblspn
• Green chillies : 3 (finely chopped )
• Asefoetida : a pinch
• Coriander powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Garam masala powder : 1/2 tspn
• Cumin powder : 1/2 tspn
• salt : as required
• Chilli powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Curd : 1/4 cup
• Sugar : 1 tspn
• Oil : 3 tblspn
• Cumin seeds : 1 tblspn
• Coriander Leaves : 2 tblspn
• Turmeric : a pinch
• Lemon juice : 1/2 tspn

Procedure:

1.  Apply oil all over brinjal , and fry it on the direct flame or put it in the griller for 30 mins on a high flame.
2. Once done , peel the skin , remove the stem  and remove any excess seeds. Chop the brinjal finely.
3. Heat oil in a pan , add cumin seeds , asefoetida. Let the cumin seeds crackle.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste, fry for a minute and add the chopped onions and green chillies. Let them fry for 2 mins and then add turmeric , coriander powder , cumin powder , mix well and fry for a minute.
5. Add the tomatoes , chilli powder , salt and cook closing the lid until the tomatoes become soft.
6. Add little water if required. Once the tomatoes are cooked add the chopped  brinjal , peas ,sugar , little water and let it cook for 5 mins until the gravy become thick.
7. Finally add lemon juice , mix well and then add the curd and garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with biryani or any bread.

Kadai Brinjal (Vankai Karam)

In Andhra, Brinjal is known as the king of all vegetables. There are even songs on this unique and special vegetable. There are many delicious foods that can be made and each has its own superb taste and great aroma. This is one such recipe that made me fall in love with brinjal, which I learnt from my in-law .. Hope you too will like the taste. Lets get started...

Ingredients:

• Bringals : 7(small)
• Oil : for deep fry
• Garlic/Vellulli karam : as per taste 

Tip:
Brinjals that you select must be small, round, purple in color, light weight and long stem. It might seem to be a big list, but trust me it will make a big difference in taste.


Procedure

      Garlic Karam is prepared by simply grinding the below ingredients

• Red chilli powder : 1 tblspn
• Salt : 1/2 tblspn
• Garlic pods : 4-5(along with the peel)

1. Remove the stems of the brinjal , cut them into '+' shape but not fully .
2. Take water in a vessel , add 1 tspn salt and put all the brinjals in this water.
3. Heat oil in a kadai / heavy bottom vessel ,and add the brinjals after you drain the water completely. Make sure that the brinjals are as dry as possible to avoid spluttering when you put them in oil.
4. Close kadai with a lid and cook the brinjals on a low flame , till the brinjals become soft. Approaximately it takes 20-30 mins. You need to keep moving the brinjals ocassionally when you fry, so that it is equally fried on all the sides.
5. Now drain all the oil from Kadai. Lightly press the brinjal with spatula (garita) to make brinjals more soft and add Garlic Karam evenly to all the brinjals.
6. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. 
7. Serve it with hot hot rice.

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