Baingan Bharta / Grilled Eggplant Curry

Ingredients:

1 bharta wala brinjal

1 tomato

1 bunch spring onion / can also use 1 medium onion

4-5 cloves garlic

100 gm green peas (after peeling 100 gms)

Salt

Lal mirchi powder

Turmeric powder - slightly

Pav bhaji masala (if u have)

2 tsp oil

Mustard seeds

Cumin seeds

Method:

Slit the brinjal (n make sure there are no worms in the brinjal..yikes..but imp to chk...)

Apply little oil on it and roast over the burner, turning occasionally. Pls note tht it will drip n u will have to clean the stove later. To avoid the mess around stove u can roast it on tava like i do over here.. yahan pe gas choke ho gaya toh 150-200 dollar ka phatka padega...lol

Once the brinjal becomes all mushy mushy and soft – stop roasting. Peel it off when cool. If it has too much of seeds inside – remove some of the seeds portion as well. Mash it and keep it aside.

Chop the onion and tomato finely (keep them separate)

Make garlic paste out of the cloves.

Take oil in a cooking pan and add mustard n cumin seeds and heat. When the spluttering starts, add onion and garlic. Sauté for a while and add green peas. Add little salt and sauté the mixture.

After 2-3 mins add tomatoes and cover it. Let it cook for a while. Do not add water – tomato releases water. If the mixture is sticking to bottom –add more oil- but not water.

When tomato starts disintegrating – add baingan mash and stir it. Add more salt if required, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala (this is the secret ingredient.... :D). Mix it well and cook it covered for a while... check intermittently... u will know when it is done n ready....

Most importantly... good luck!!!

Cho Chi Tofu

Cho Chi Tofu

Ingredients

Red Curry Paste

1 stalk lemongrass

1 small piece galangal / ginger

1 small piece turmeric / ½ tbsp turmeric powder

3-4 cloves garlic

5-6 thai red chillies / dried red chillies (increase or decrease quantity to your liking)

1 shallot / ½ red onion (if you don’t have shallot)

1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp ground pepper

2 tbsp soy sauce

1tsp sugar

2-3 tbsp coconut cream

2 tbsp lime juice

Salt to taste

Cho Chi Tofu

2 tbsp red curry paste

400 ml coconut cream

2 tbsp palm sugar / jaggery

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oil and some to stir fry the veggies

200 gm hard tofu cut into fingers or small cubes

Veggies – carrots julienned, sugar snaps, onion strips, bell pepper (capsicum) strips or large pieces, broccoli florets, bok choy , thai basil, any other veggies that you like.

Few leaves thai basil leaves

2 tbsp cashewnuts

Method

Red Curry Paste

Dry roast coriander and cumin seeds.

Take all the ingredients in food processor and blend into a fine paste. If using mortar pestle, grind dry ingredients first, gradually adding wet ingredients and coconut cream as required.

(Note: non vegetarians can add shrimp paste and replace soy sauce with fish sauce.)

Cho Chi Tofu

Fry Tofu pieces. You can opt to not fry the tofu to keep it healthier.

Stir Fry all the veggies and cashewnuts, and keep aside.

In a pan take 1 tbsp oil and heat it. Add 2 tbsp red curry paste as above to the oil and sauté it for 2 minutes. Add 1/3^rd of coconut cream to the pan and stir. Cook on high flame stirring intermittently till the oil starts separating from the mixture. Add palm sugar / jiggery and soy sauce and stir till the palm sugar melts and the mixture becomes sticky. Add remaining coconut cream and mix. Taste the curry and add red chilli paste / palm sugar / soy sauce to adjust the taste to your liking. Add the fried tofu, stir fried veggies and cashewnuts and let it cook for 5 minutes.

The curry is ready, garnish with chopped thai basil leaves.

Serve the hot curry with steamed rice or coconut rice.

(Note: Non-vegetarians can add / replace the veggies and tofu with their choice of meat / fish. Also you can use fish sauce instead of soy sauce)