Dahiwala Baingan Bhartha (Smoked aubergines with yoghurt)

I know my hubby was a punjabi in his previous life and I must've been a malayalee. The passion with which he looooves makki ki roti with dal, aalo ka parantha with white butter, any kind of dhaba food, pakoras of any kind is beyond comprehension.

The same way, my folks wonder what happened to their punjabi daughter (me) and my changed taste buds when I go on on about the intoxicating onam sadya I had had, and the appam with stew (gosh I should make this soon), parip payasam, nool puttu, parip vada, thorans of any kind, aviyal and moorkootan.

One such punjabi dish that hubby loves to have with tandoori roti is dahiwalla baingan bhartha. Its a tweak of the usual baingan bhartha that is made with tomato and peas.


What you need:

3-4 large aubergines
1 cup of plain yoghurt
salt and chilli powder to taste

for the tempering:
3-4 tsp of oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing
2-3 sprigs curry leaves

method:

1. Roast the aubergines directly on the fire until they are completely charred from all sides. Keep the stem away from the flame and use it to turn them as the aubergine roasts. Cool in a plate. (Dont worry, its not going to burn the aubergines, it'll only give them a smoky flavour and cook them through.)


2. Peel the burnt skin and wash each aubergine gently under running water. Chop of the stem and mash the flesh of the aubergines. They can also be run in the processor.


3. In a bowl whisk the yoghurt. Add the mashed smoked aubergine flesh. Add salt and chilli powder to taste.

4. For the tempering. Heat the oil on medium high flame. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, hing nd curry leaves. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add to the yogurt bowl and fold everything togethor. Serve with tandoori roti or rice. Serves 4.


I am sending it over to Sangeeta of Ghar ka khaana, as a second dish for JFI. JFI is conceived by Indira of mahanandi.


I am also sending it to the RCI-regional cuisines (Punjab) event where different regional cuisines of india are celebrated every month. It was conceived by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine and hosted this month by lovely Richa of As Dear As Salt.

Baingan aur Paneer ki sabzi (Aubergine with Paneer)

I am chugging along in recipe and cooking-land in my skoro-skoro (local african word for an old about-to-break-down-any-minute car!) when a flash hits me in the eye, and I adjust my rear-view mirror to see a sparkling, fast moving object approaching from behind. "It's a beamer", I say to myself, as it approaches and wooshes by, overtaking me and dissapearing upfront.

Heee heee, that was the best way I could think of telling how Adt (a dear dear friend of mine) has evolved as a foodie. She's become an amazing cook, and has an amazing collection of recipe books and I am becoming a big big fan of her recipes!! This time, she's especially cooked for my blog a baingan dish for the JFI event. Baingan and paneer, a very unusual combination and totally yummy too. She adapted the recipe from the book, The Higher Taste.

what you need

- 1 large eggplant (cut in 2cm cubes)
- 200gms paneer (also cut into 2 cm cubes)
- ghee for deep frying (can use oil too)
- 1/2 tsp fresh minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp fresh minced green chilli
- 3/4 cup tomato puree
- 1 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp turmeric- pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- salt to taste

1. In a wok/kadai, heat the ghee/oil to medium hot temperature. Deep fry first all the paneer, then the aubergine. Drain paneer and aubergine cubes on kitchen paper. Save the rest of the ghee for future use.

2. In a large frying pan, heat about 3-4 tbsp of ghee over high heat for 30 seconds (the ghee kept after frying can be used here). Stir in mustard seeds, chilli, ginger and hing. When mustard seeds start popping and people in the next room are coughing from the chillies :) add the tomato puree. Cook for another couple of minutes and add the rest of the spices. Stir to saute everything togethor.

3. Now add the aubergine and fold everything togethor. Simmer uncovered for 8 minutes. Lastly add paneer cubes and fold gently, cover and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve hot with roti or rice. Serves 4

Thanks Adt for this great recipe! I am sending it over to Sangeeta of Ghar ka khaana, as she is hosting this month's JFI and she has chosen aubergine as the ingredient of the month. JFI - is where we celebrate ingredients one by one and is conceived by Indira of mahanandi.

I feel the combination of aubergine and paneer is unique and punjabi enough to send to the RCI-regional cuisines (Punjab) event where different regional cuisines of india are celebrated every month. It was conceived by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine and hosted this month by lovely Richa of As Dear As Salt.