SPECIAL TAWA CHICKEN *COOK WITH FAIZA*

SPECIAL TAWA CHICKEN *COOK WITH FAIZA*

Baingan Ka Salan - Hyderabadi Baingan Salan Recipe (Baingan Recipes)

Baingan ka Salan is my spin on the popular mirchi ka salan recipe that's a mandatory accompaniment to Hyderabadi biryani. Since I love baingan recipes and bagara baingan is one of my favourites, I thought I should try a baingan ka salan which has the same base recipe as the bagara baingan. Added bonus, the baingan is from my balcony garden!

Since I have already talked quite passionately about mirchi ka salan, why and how I came to love it, etc, I should probably talk about that balcony garden now, eh? So, I've been taking pictures on a monthly basis to share with you guys on how it's been progressing (quite well), what I've been growing (mostly herbs, cherry tomatoes, and eggplant/baingan), and what a lovely feeling it is to grow your own food. I have always wanted to have a balcony garden and that's one of the first things I set up on moving to Sydney. While my excessive work travel this year has killed a couple of rounds of mint plants, more than 80% of what I grew, we consumed. Win, right?

So yes, the first baingan from my plant was super special to me and I wanted to make something that'll enable it to shine. It is organic and not as large as the ones you buy. I also noticed it had way more seeds than store-bought ones and the skin wasn't as waxy and squeaky when you cut into it.

I have already posted step by step recipe for mirchi ka salan so please refer if you'd like to see the steps.

If you love baingan recipes as much as I do, check out my favourite Hyderabad bagara baingan recipe, brinjal chutney for dosa, Szechuan eggplant that's so easy to make and goes great with fried rice, and an old favourite - vangi bath recipe.

BAINGAN KA SALAN RECIPE

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes ~ 2.5 cups

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 baingan or eggplant, cut into long wedges
• 2-3 dry red chillies (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp of gingelly oil (Indian sesame oil)
• 2 tbsp of white sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp of raw peanuts
• 2 tbsp of grated coconut (or use desiccated), optional
• 1/2 tsp of minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp of grated ginger
• 1 heaping tsp of coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp of jeera (cumin) powder
• 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds (methi)
• 1/2 cup of sliced onions
• A few curry leaves
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 tsp of tamarind extract
• 3/4 tsp of powdered jaggery or dark brown sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash and pat dry the baingan before cutting into wedges. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan and lightly fry the baingan pieces until they are charred and start to look softer. Drain and set aside on paper towels.

2. Meanwhile, In a dry skillet, roast the coconut until golden brown (if using coconut). Desiccated coconut will brown much faster so keep an eye on it as you fry.

3. In the same pan used for the baingan, add the peanuts and sesame seeds and roast until a shade darker, keeping flame very low. Once they are done, add the roasted coconut and mix well (if using). Switch off flame and remove to a plate to cool.

4. In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and the mustard seeds + fenugreek seeds. When the mustards pop, add the sliced onions and red chillies torn into pieces. Fry until onions turn golden brown.

5. Next, add the curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and turmeric. Saut� for 30 seconds until fragrant.

6. Then throw in the red chilli powder, coriander pwoder, jeera powder, and some salt. Roast for 10 seconds and add 2.5 cups of water. Bring to a slow boil.

7. Meanwhile, grind the roasted coconut + sesame + peanut mixture with some water to a smooth paste. Add it to the simmering curry and mix well. Continue to cook on a low flame.

8. When the mixture is a bit thicker and simmering, add the jaggery and the tamarind extract dissolved in 1/2 cup water.

9. Mix well and add the baingan pieces. Cook covered on a low flame for 5-7 mins until the baingan is very soft and cooked through. Add more salt if required.

10. If you find that the mixture is too watery, you can simmer longer, and if it's too thick, add more water or tamarind water as required.

Baingan ka salan goes fabulously well with my rice cooker vegetable biryani recipe but it also goes as a great curry with plain rice. Since the base of baingan ka salan has so many lovely ingredients, the complex flavour complements plain rice really well. And of course, rotis or even dosas are fair game too, so try any combinations you can conjure up. Let's break some rules, people!

Brinjal Vindaloo Recipe - Vegetarian Vindaloo Recipe with Brinjal

Amma shared the recipe for this Brinjal Vindaloo a few months ago. I had only heard of pork vindaloo until then and hadn't given the dish much thought but when she read out the recipe for a vegetarian vindaloo with brinjal from a magazine, I was intrigued. She strongly recommended it since she had tried the recipe and it came out nice. "Your blog readers would love it", she said. I said I'll definitely try and share the recipe soon. Then in true Nags style, I forgot all about it. My mother, on the other hand, is not sloppy like me. She waited a couple of weeks for me to get back on how the vindaloo came out and seeing nothing from my end, made it again in her kitchen, got my uncle to click the pictures step by detailed step, and had him send it to me with the recipe.

You would think I would have posted it immediately, hanging my head in shame for being such a slacker, right? Nope. I waited another 4 months before actually posting it here. I blame it on the relocation and all, but let's face it, I am not my mother's daughter when it comes to lack of laziness and inertia.

Anyway, less about me and more about the Vindaloo. It's an Indian adaptation from a Portuguese dish originally made with wine. Most popular in Goa, Vindaloo is meant to be a dish with meat, usually pork or lamb. Lots of Indian restaurants outside India serve this dish with an addition of potatoes and marked spicy. Since the Vindaloo has evolved so much and become so Indianised anyway, why not a vegetarian version of Vindaloo, eh?

Other Brinjal Recipes on Edible Garden I love - Bagara Baingan, Iyer-syle Gotsu for Pongal, Brinjal Masala.

VEGETARIAN BRINJAL VINDALOO RECIPE

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe source: Malayala Manorama Weekly Magazine
PIctures courtesy: Amma and Radhamama

INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of baby brinjal or eggplant
2 cups of thinly sliced onions
1 tbsp of tomato sauce
2 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1 tsp of cumin or jeera
1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds or uluva (menthayam/methi)
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1" piece of ginger
1 tbsp of vinegar
1-2 tsp of sugar
1/4 cup of oil (we used coconut oil)
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Make a mix of turmeric powder and required amount of salt in a small bowl. Wash and pat dry the brinjal. Amma used these small green variety of brinjal but use any kind you get. You can even use large eggplant, cubed.

2. Make deep vertical slits in the brinjal without slicing them. Rub in the salt+turmeric mix and set aside.

3. Heat the oil and add the brinjal. Shallow roast them until they turn soft and semi cooked as seen below. Drain and set aside on paper towels so the extra oil is absorbed.

4. In the same oil, add the sliced onions and fry until golden brown. You can top up more oil if needed.

Drain and set aside.

5. Grind the garlic and ginger together into a coarse paste. Highly recommend using fresh ginger and garlic in this recipe rather than the bottled stuff.

6. Add this paste to the same pan used for the brinjal and onions and saute on low flame until browned and fragrant. Take care not to burn it.

7. Powder the spices - jeera, fenugreek, chilli powder, mustard - and add to the ginger garlic paste. Saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Then add the tomato sauce and saute a bit more, you should see the oil clearly separating from the masala.

8. Add a 2 cups of water to this and the cooked brinjal and the fried onions. Bring to boil and add the vinegar and sugar. Let it simmer for about 3-4 mins or until the gravy reaches the consistency you desire. Add salt and garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves if preferred.

This brinjal vindaloo is a great combination with chapati or roti but you can also serve it with a simple vegetable pulao or jeera rice.

Brinjal Chutney Recipe - Eggplant Thogayal for Dosa, Idli, Rice

Brinjal, Eggplant, Kathirikai, Kathrikka - it's a personal favourite vegetable of mine and I hardly tire of brinjal dishes. I love all varieties of chutneys too and like experimenting with different vegetable and spice combinations (chow chow chutney, anyone?). Chutneys are great to make and store for a couple of days and I especially love the kind that can double up for rice in addition to tiffin like dosa idli. This brinjal chutney is heavy on the brinjal flavour so those who don't like them much, consider yourselves warned!

As a sidenote, I must admit it was very tough to make this eggplant chutney look appetizing. The colour is very blegh and the texture is gloopy, just refusing to convey the taste of the dish - as opposed to a drizzle of blueberry coulis that conveys the deliciousness really well, you know? Anyway, I made it, I took photos, so I am going to share this eggplant chutney recipe.

Brinjal Chutney with Pesarattu

I thought I had used the recipe from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan - a fabulous vegetarian cookbook for South Indian recipes, btw (buy in US or India) - but looks like I took some inspiration from her recipe and then used my own variations. I am sounding a bit clueless because I share recipes here about 2-3 months after cooking them so often forget making it. But don't worry, before I share anything, I make sure the recipe is complete :). So, let's go make us some brinjal chutney, shall we?

Looking for more Variety Chutney Recipes?

BRINJAL OR EGGPLANT CHUTNEY RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Inspired by Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan (INDIA | US)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large eggplant or long Asian brinjal (or use 4-5 small Indian brinjals)
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp + 1 tsp + 1 tsp of oil
• 1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp of urad dal, ulutham paruppu, uzhunnu parippu
• A pinch of hing, kayam, asafoetida
• 1 dry red chilli
• 3/4 tsp of tamarind paste or small piece of tamarind
• 3-4 minced shallots or 2 tbsp minced onions
• A few curry leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Chop the eggplant into 1" cubes and set aside in a bowl of water. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.

2. When they pop, drain water and add the eggplant pieces. Saute until the pieces soften and turn light brown. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool.

2. In the same pan (because we don't like washing up, do we?), add one more tsp oil, slice and add the green chillies, dry red chilli, and 1/2 tsp urad dal. Saute until the dal turns golden brown.

3. Transfer the cooled eggplant, the roasted ingredients from above, tamarind, and some salt to a mixie and blend to a smooth paste.

4. Heat the last tsp of oil in the same pan as before (this is clearly a one-pan chutney recipe) and add the sliced shallots/onions, hing, and 1/4 tsp urad dal.

5. When the dal turns golden brown, add the curry leaves and the blended chutney paste.

6. Mix well and add more salt if needed.

Serve warm with dosa, adai, pesarattu, rice, idli, even chapati.

Notes:

1. You can grill the eggplant in an open flame or in the oven instead of pan frying like I did. Gives the chutney a smokey flavour
2. You can add the mustard seeds while tempering (along with the onions, etc) instead of with the eggplant. I wanted to grind the mustard which is why I added it in the first time, this is entirely up to you
3. You can pan fry 1/2 cup sliced onions after the eggplant and grind along with the chutney. Will be super delicious too!

Szechuan Eggplant Recipe - Sichuan Eggplant Recipe - Step by Step

Eggplant cooked the Chinese way in a delicious szechuan sauce. Szechuan Eggplant is a very quick side dish for vegetable fried rice or noodles.

Making a side dish for Vegetable Fried Rice (or noodles) usually leaves me in a cloud of flour dust, crankiness due to the heat of the oil I need to deep fry stuff in (you know, for manchurians and such) and the humidity in Singapore doesn't help matters much. While I would definitely agree that a finished Gobi Manchurian or Chilli Paneer is a thing of beauty and deliciousness, it's not something I would make often simply because of the number of steps and the chances of messing up the kitchen and the final dish.

This Eggplant Schezwan Recipe is a boon on such days. It's so very easy to put together and tastes great and takes all of 20 mins to cook up. If you are not a fan of eggplant, may I take a few mins and try to convert you? No? Ok then, try Mushroom Schezwan or Tofu Schezwan or ooohh, a Paneer Schezwan. Pretty much any vegetable can be customized and made using the same basic recipe for Schezwan sauce that I have given below.

Hungy yet? Ok, on to the Sichuan Eggplant Recipe now!

SCHEZWAN EGGPLANT RECIPE

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 2-3
Recipe idea from: Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant cut into 1" wide wedges
• 5-6 shallots or pearl onions
• 1 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 tsp of red red chilli sauce (Sriracha, Maggi, anything works) or chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp of soya sauce
• 1 tsp of regular white vinegar
• 1 tsp of cornflour or corn starch
• 1/2 tsp of brown sugar (or jaggery)
• 1 small bunch of coriander leaves / cilantro
• 1/2 tsp of black pepper powder
• 2 tbsp of sesame oil (Indian gingelly oil) or peanut oil
• 1 cup water

How to Make Schezwan Eggplant:

• Heat oil in a wide pan and when it starts to smoke, add the eggplant in 2 batches, frying until sticky and brown. Add salt and pepper to this, drain and set aside
• In the same pan, add a few more drops of oil if required and fry the shallots until soft. To this, add the red chilli sauce (or flakes) and minced garlic. Saute for a few seconds
• Meanwhile, mix the soya sauce, vinegar, corn starch, sugar, and some salt to make the Schezwan Sauce
• Add this to the shallot mixture and cook on medium-high heat until it starts to bubble
• Tip in the fried eggplant and mix well until the sauce coats the eggplant
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with fried rice or noodles

Step by Step Pictures to Make Schezwan Eggplant

1. Heat oil and fry the eggplant in 2-3 batches

... until soft, browned, and sticky. Add salt and pepper, drain and set aside.

2. In same pan, add more oil if needed, and fry the shallots.

3. Add chilli sauce and minced garlic and saute some more.

4. Meanwhile, make the Schezwan Sauce by mixing the corn starch, soya sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and some salt

5. Add water to the shallot mixture and top off with the Schezwan Sauce

6. When it boils and starts bubbling, add the eggplant

7. Mix well and cook through until sauce coats the eggplant fully.

Notes:

• You can deep-fry the eggplant until crisp and proceed with the recipe. If served immediately, this will give the dish a nice texture
• You can use spring onions (scallions, green onions) instead of the shallots for a different flavour
• Use the Asian eggplant for best results. They are long and purple. If not available where you live, use the regular fat eggplant or smaller purple brinjal
• You can add some minced ginger along with the garlic. For some reason, I felt like omitting ginger so I did

Gotsu Recipe-Kathirikai (Brinjal) Gothsu-Ven Pongal Gothsu Recipe

Apparently Ven Pongal and Gothsu are like Romeo and Juliet, only with a happier ending. As I have mentioned before, my Reddiar-Malayali mix of a household doesn't see a lot of Ven Pongal (but amma makes Sakkarai Pongal for all sorts of non-occasions, even for reasons like "I felt like eating Sakkarai Pongal) but my all-tamil in-laws do make and eat a fair bit of Ven Pongal and I thank my lucky stars for that.

I absolutely love Pongal but can only eat my mom-in-law's version of it. When we go out to eat at Murugan Idli Kadai or Saravana Bhavan in Singapore, Pongal is probably the last thing I'd order, don't ask me why.

Click here for Ven Pongal Recipe

So anyway, when we were in Chennai last December, I put forth my usual request for a Pongal breakfast to mom-in-law and she made Kathirikai Gotsu to go with it. This is my first time eating Gothsu and I fail to understand why it's only eaten with Pongal (they are a great pair, I do agree) and not with idli and dosa and upma and anything else that you can get your hands on.

Anyway, here's my mom-in-law's fabulous recipe for Kathirikai Gotsu. A true delight!

Kathirikai Gotsu | Brinjal Gothsu Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
Recipe source: My mom-in-law

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of moong dal (pasi paruppu), pressure cooked to a mush with water
2 onions, chopped
2-3 green chillies
1 cup of chopped kathirikai (brinjal)
1 chopped tomato
1/2 cup of tamarind juice (semi-thick)
1/2 tsp of powdered jaggery (or brown sugar, or sugar)
A small bunch of chopped coriander leaves
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tbsp of oil

For the Spice Powder:
1 tsp of oil
4 tsp of chana dal (kadala paruppu)
1 tsp of split urad dal (ulutham paruppu)
4 tsp of coriander seeds
3-4 dry red chillies
1 tsp of whole black peppercorn
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp of white sesame seeds (ellu), optional

How to make Kathirikai Gothsu:

1. First, cook the moong dal with enough water to cover it by 2 inches, in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles until it's soft and mushy. Don't use roasted moong as it won't cook down to a mush. Since Gothsu is usually made to serve with Pongal, you can cook required amount of the pasi paruppu for Pongal and Gotsu together. Set aside.

2. Next, heat oil for the spice powder and reduce flame to low. Add the ingredients to roast and keep stirring as the chillies start to glow and the dals turn golden brown. Take care not to burn them. Cool, powder, and set aside.

3. Heat the 1 tbsp oil and add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds. When they pop, add the chopped onions, perungaayam, and green chillies. Fry until the onions turn soft (about 3 mins) and add the chopped brinjal and tomatoes. Fry again until the tomatoes turn soft (another 3-4 mins).

4. Next, add the tamarind water and turmeric powder and bring to boil. Cook until the tomatoes and brinjal turn completely soft (about 5 mins).

5. Add the cooked moong dal to this along with the powdered spices and bring to boil again. You can add about 2 tbsp of the spice powder, taste, and then add more if required. Add salt and simmer until the right consistency is reached. It should be like a gravy that is pourable on Pongal. Turn off flame and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.

That's it. Delicious Kathirikai Gothsu is ready to be served with piping hot Ghee Pongal.

Pongal makes for a delicious, well-balanced, and filling South Indian breakfast which is generally brunch at my in-law's place. .With good reason too, because after a meal of Pongal-Gothsu, hunger doesn't strike until late evening!

Baby Brinjal and Peanut Masala Recipe | Kathirikai Curry Recipe

I love adding peanuts to stir-fried masala recipes like you would for variety rice recipes like lemon rice and puliogare. The usual suspect that always needs to share the limelight with peanuts is okra. Any time okra masala is made, in go a handful of peanuts.

The other day I got some gorgeous baby brinjals (new-born, even) and had to make something non-fussy and flavourful. Although vatha kozhambu was on the cards, that didn't end up happening so I adapted a quick dry masala recipe for the baby brinjal and peanuts to have a go at each other. I think they like each other. This is a no-onion, no-garlic recipe.

Baby Brinjal and Peanut Masala Recipe (Kathirikai Curry)
Serves: 2 

Ingredients:
8-10 baby brinjal
1/2 cup raw unsalted peanuts
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
A generous pinch of hing / asafoetida
A pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
A few curry leaves
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
A small piece of tamarind or 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste

How to make Kathirikai with Peanuts Curry:

1. Cut baby brinjal into thin long pieces. I cut each small brinjal into 8 long pieces, lengthwise.

2. Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the jeera and curry leaves. Once the jeera sizzles and turns a darker share of brown, add the hing and fry for 5 seconds.

3. Now throw in the cut brinjal pieces and the peanuts. Mix well until well coated in the oil. Reduce flame and cook partially covered until the brinjal is soft yet cooked and the peanuts are sufficiently roasted. This should take about 12-15 mins. Sprinkle water if necessary but don't add too much.

4. Now add the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and the tamarind and mix well until well combined. Cook for another 3-4 mins, add salt, and remove from fire. Serve hot with steamed rice and any curry of choice.

Kathirikai Kariamudhu Recipe, Brinjal Curry, Kathirikai Curry Recipe

Kathirikai or brinjal recipes or pretty much any curry with kathirikai is popular in my house and we try to cook with brinjal at least once a week. I have tried quite a few variations of kathirikai curry but this particular one from Chandra Padmanabhan was an immediate hit, especially because of the yogurt in the gravy. The spice levels can be adjusted to your taste but serve warm with rice. This particular kathirikai curry tastes best when served fresh.

When it comes to recipes from Chandra Padmanabhan, I mostly follow them blindly, except to suit spice levels to our taste. This very interesting recipe from one of her books had me thinking though, and I adapted it by adding some curd in the end. Very tasty and very South Indian!

The ingredient list and method may look long but it's really a very easy recipe to make.

For more kathirikai recipes, check out:
Bagara Baingan
Ennai kathirikai kuzhambu
Kathirikai gotsu
Szechuan eggplant
Baingan ka salan



Kathirikkai Kariamudhu | Kathirikai Curry Recipe 
Adapted from Chandra Padmanabhan's Simply South
Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:
1 small marble-sized ball of tamarind
10-12 baby brinjals, cubed
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp grated coconut
1/4 cup curd / yogurt (optional)
Salt to taste
For Spice Powder:
1.5 tbsp channa dal / husked Bengal gram / kadala paruppu
1.5 tbsp urad dal / husked black gram / ulutham paruppu
2 dry red chillies
3 tbsp coriander seeds (or use 1 tbsp coriander powder)
1/2" stick cinnamon
1 clove
For Tempering:
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
1 dry red chillies, torn into half
A few curry leaves

How to make Kathirikai Curry:

1. Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup water for 10 mins. Extract juice and discard pulp.

2. Lightly fry ingredients for spice powder in a dry skillet over low fire. Toss gently till dals are golden brown, take care not to burn them! Cool and grind to a fine powder.

3. Heat oil for tempering and the rest of the ingredients in given order. When the mustard seeds start popping, add the cubed brinjal pieces and saute for 2-3 mins. Then add tamarind juice, turmeric powder, and salt.

4. Sprinkle some water and cook closed over low heat for about 5-7 mins or until the brinjal is tender. Cook open for a minute until all the extra moisture is absorbed. Then add the grated coconut and the spice powder. Stir well to combine, adjust salt, and finally mix in the curd before removing from fire. (For authentic Kathirikkai Kariamudhu recipe, avoid the curd).

5. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti.