Eggplant fry and kitchen garden

Gardening is one of my favorite hobby from childhood. After coming to US, I couldn't understand this weather for a few years and planted only mint, herbs and some flowering plants. Bringing the plants indoor for cold weather and maintaining them is equally interesting but needs more space and knowledge. Then I wanted to grow some seasonal plants (annuals) as if it is a typical kitchen garden. This summer (by June) we bought 3 eggplant seedlings and one tomato plant from the local grocery shop. The apartment has allowed the residents to have some garden space. We planted them in our garden space in downstairs and the plants started growing very fast. I watered them regularly and fed them with home made fertilizer. My neighbors are already much enthusiastic gardeners and hence I started enjoying gardening again with them all. Within 6 weeks we could harvest huge eggplants (18 till now and still coming up) and I made many dishes with that. Also I shared the brinjals with my neighbors and got back some green chillies, long hot pepper (bajji milagai), tomato, spring onion. Our eggplant tastes very good, just like butter (am I boasting now:)). Totally we all enjoyed that buttery creamy delicious home grown brinjals:)
Here is the simple varuval (fry) I made using the second brinjal .... the first one....i picked before it got big, as I didn't realize how big it will grow: )

Eggplant varuval / fry.

Eggplant started showing up and growing.

Eggplants in cluster.

fully grown eggplant shrub.

see the small seeds inside...buttery eggplant.

I weighed each and every brinjal and noted down for fun. The biggest one weighed 584 gm :)

Ingredients: 
Eggplant (big brinjal) - 1 (300 gm)
oil - 2 tbsp
fennel seed (sombu) - 1 tsp
onion - 1
garlic - 5 cloves
curry leaf - 1 sprig
red chilly powder - 1.5 tsp
garam masala powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
salt - to taste

Method:
Cut the eggplant into small cubes. Heat oil in a wok and add the fennel. After it gets mild red, add the chopped onion and fry till it gets golden brown. Add the crushed garlic, curry leaf and fry for 10 seconds. Then add the chopped eggplant and stir well. Cook covered with a tbsp of water and low heat till it is well done. Add the chilly powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt and cook covered in low heat for a few minutes.
Switch off before it gets mushy.
Eggplant varuval is ready!

 Serving suggestions:
Serve as side dish with chapati or any rice.

Groundnut chickpea sundal

Chickpea - channa, konda kadalai ; groundnut - peanut, nilakadalai, verkadalai.

Having sundal (salad with lentils) for snack is a great way to stay fit. I always try to keep a batch of sundal in my fridge for that tea time cravings:) Though the easiest way is to buy a canned lentil, I prefer the home cooked ones better. Dried nuts are lesser expensive, healthy and delicious. Pressure cooker makes perfectly cooked chickpeas very easily. We can do stove top cooking too, but it will take nearly 2 hours. Sometimes I cook the chickpeas in a big batch and freeze in small portion / containers, so that I can add some protein in any dish I want.

A healthy snack for tea time.

Ingredients:
dry White or red chick peas - 1 cup (1 coffee mug)
dry groundnut (peanut) - 1/2 cup
coconut oil - 1 tsp
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
dry red chillies - 3
curry leaf - 2 sprig
mustard seed - 1 tsp
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
salt - to taste
water (to cook) - to immerse and 1 cup standing over.

 Method: 
Wash the groundnut, chickpeas thoroughly and Soak them for 12 hours or over night. They will double in size after soaking. Fast Soaking can be done in hot water for 5 - 6 hours along with some baking soda (but I won't suggest that). Remove the soaked water which is frothy (must). Wash again and add some more water. They should be totally covered with water and add some water to stand 1 inch above. Pressure cook the peas to one whistle, then reduce the flame and cook in low flame for 15 minutes. Release pressure and take out. Add salt, drain the water. Heat oil in a wok. Splutter the mustard seeds. Reduce flame and add the red chillies, curry leaves, hing and wait till the chillies turn dark red. Add the cooked letils and stir fry till it looses all the water. Check the salt. Add  grated coconut. Switch off immediately.

Serving suggestion:
Serve as snack with tea / coffee.
Sometimes I make some chundal with variety rice like puli saatham, lemon rice or puli kulambu rice as side dish.
Channa is a very healthy protein rich snack with nearly 100 calories per cup after cooking.

Note: 
It would be better to make channa sundal and peanut sundal separately and mix them for the peanut lovers, as some can't take peanuts.
Red channa has more fiber than the white one.
Red chickpeas takes only 6 hours to soak (more the better) and it is easy to sprout too.