Baingan ka bharta

I got this baingan recipe from one of my neighborhood friends. The smoky flavor imparts a new dimension to this simple recipe. I have seen grandma and mom putting the brinjals in the hot charcoal after preparing hot water or rice in the backyard cooking space (separate kitchen will be inside the house also). That brinjals would be mashed and made into a tamarind based pachadi. Coming back to our bhartha story, that big eggplant that is cooked over direct flame (can be done in oven too) would be added to a tangy curry. It is a popular North Indian dish with a creamy texture without much oil.

Hope my friends know how much I love gardening. This year also I am having eggplants, tomato, spinach, mint, basil, tuberose lily, daisy, chrysanth and some flowering plants (don't know their names) in my cute little garden . We bought the lily rhizomes in the International flower show in Philadelphia. Lily is one of my most favorite flowers because of their fragrance and beauty.  I am sharing my eggplants with all of my friends....each house a week:) Last week I got back a pack of string beans (French variety) from another passionate gardening neighbor and shared two eggplants with them. Another one neighbor also caught up our idea and  she has started growing Jalapeno and eggplants.

I used my first brinjal of this season on July 19, 2013. The menu of the day was: Home grown brinjal baingan ka partha and home grown spinach (thandau keerai) with dal along with pulka roti.

Phulka roti along with baingan ka bharta and spinach dal.

Homegrown eggplant, spinach and tuberose lily flower.

Tuberose lily , a very fragrant lily along with basil, mint  and spinach in our garden.

Ingredients:
eggplant (aubergine) - 1 big ( 1 lb)
tomato puree - 3/4  cup (3 numbers)
onion - 1
ginger - 2 inch
curry leaf , cilantro - few
EV olive oil / mustard oil - 6 tbsp
mustard - 1 tsp
red chilly powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
coriander powder - 2 tsp
curry masala powder - 1 tsp
cumin powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:
Coat the brinjal / eggplant with oil. Fire roast it till it is completely cooked. Check if it is cooked by poking a skewer or knife. (My eggplants were very big (more than 1/2 kg), so I cut that into two and broiled as said above to ensure uniform cooking. It took me less than 10 minutes to get them all done).
Peel the skin and mash coarsely.
Heat oil. Add mustard seeds, as they crackle add onion and fry till it gets golden. Then add finely chopped / mashed ginger.
Then add the tomato puree and cook till oil separates. Add the powders mentioned above.
Cook with a tbsp of water till oil shows up.
Then add the mashed eggplant , salt and cook for 2 minutes.
Switch off.

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with paratha, naan, curd  rice.
I have bottled up some of this baingan ka partha and using it as dip / salsa also.

Brinjal tomato pachadi

Brinjal with tomato is a classic combination. I always like tangy side dishes along with chapati. Here is another easy side dish that can satisfy our palate.

Ingredients: 
Tomato - 3
brinjal (small) - 2
red onion - 1
green chilly - 4
shredded coconut - 1 tbsp
salt - to taste
mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp
oil - 2 tsp
curry leaf - few

Method:
Chop brinjal into small cubes and put in water. Chop tomatoes into small pieces and keep aside. Chop onion, green chillies, curry leaves and keep aside. Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds. After the mustard starts cracking, add chopped onion, chilly, curry leaves. Wait till onion turns soft, then add the chopped brinjal and stir for a few minutes. Then add the chopped tomato and cook covered with little water and salt. Cook till the vegetables are cooked completely and tending to get mushy. Add shredded coconut, cumin and switch off. Tomato brinjal koottu is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with curd rice, sambar rice and chapati.