Aloo Baigan (Eggplant and Potato Curry)

The Eggplant Extravaganza continues among us Johnson's Backyard Garden CSA subscribers -- not that I'm complaining! But, it can become a challenge to handle all the eggplant we receive in ways that keep us interested in eating more eggplant.

For this recipe, I tried a version of Aloo Baigan (Eggplant and Potato Curry) that I found in my database, but my notes on its original source are cryptic, so I couldn't tell you where I originally found this one. I must have found it online, however, because multiple versions of it exist using the same language.

Aloo Baigan (Eggplant and Potato Curry)

1 1/2" piece ginger

2 green chiles, minced

1/4 c unsweetened coconut, shredded

1/2 tsp garam masala

4 T ghee (I just use butter)

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 T cumin seeds

1/8 tsp asafetida (opt)

6 medium potatoes, boiled and cubed

1 tsp turmeric

1 T coriander

1 small eggplant, in 1" cubes

1 tsp salt

3 T cilantro, chopped

1 T lemon juice

Begin by making your seasoning paste. Combine ginger, chiles and coconut in a blender with 1/3 c of water. Blend until smooth. Add garam masala and pulse. Set mixture aside.

Heat oil/butter/ghee. When hot, add mustard and cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Stir in asafetida (if using) and immediately add potatoes. Quickly cook for 5 minutes. Add spice mixture from blender.

Add turmeric, coriander, eggplant, salt and half of the fresh cilantro. Mix very gently so as not to break the vegetables.

Mix in lemon juice and remaining cilantro leaves and serve!

I'd be interested in other people's comments on this dish -- I found it tasty, but dry. I'd like another version that has a bit more sauce in it. Maybe next time, I will try it using Manjula's Kitchen's version. Manjula's Kitchen is my personal favorite online source for Indian recipes. I see that when making this recipe, she calls for the addition of tomatoes, which would certainly help add some moisture to the final product.

Comments

Chicken Traybake with Roasted Poblano and Tomato Salsa

This dish is delicious! Easy! And, beautiful to look at! The original recipe calls for you to process all the cooked vegetables together into a chunky salsa, but I recommend serving it as is so you have an automatic side dish. The original also calls for cooking chicken bone-in, but, the more I cook traybakes, the more I advocate for slicing chicken into tenders and cooking boneless. Just a safer bake that way because everything comes to the same temperature at the same time. Chicken Traybake with Roasted Poblano and Tomato Salsa Milk Street 1 T chili powder 2 poblano, stemmed, seeded, chopped 1 yellow onion, root end intact, in 8 wedges 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1/4 c olive oil 1 T brown sugar 1 T oregano, dried 3 lb chicken, bone-in, skin-on, trimmed 10 cloves garlic, peeled 1 T vinegar 1/4 c cilantro, chopped Heat oven to 450. In small bowl, stir together chili powder and 2 tsp salt. In large bowl, toss together pobloanos, onion wedges, tomatoes, and 1 T of the chili-power...

Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles

I love this dish so much that I can barely stand it. Delicious the night it was made, and fantastic as leftovers throughout the week. Mayocoba beans are easily replaced -- try pintos, if you can't find mayocobas. Mayocoba Beans with Green Chiles Baptism of Fire 3-4 green chiles, roasted and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 T lard or olive oil 1/2 tsp oregano 1 tsp cumin pepper 1 c mayocoba beans, dry 3 c water 1 tsp salt Cook the green chiles, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in the fat until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the beans sit, uncovered, for an hour. You may drain the water to remove some of the slightly indigestible sugars that cause gassiness. If you decide to drain them, add enough water back into the pot to cover the beans with about 2" of water above the beans for cooking. Bring the beans back to a boil and cook, until tender. This will take...

Curried Chicken Soup

I made this soup so often in the 1990s, but frankly had forgotten about it. Flipping through this cookbook, I found this recipe and was flooded with memories. When I was in grad school, this soup was my "feeling decadent" food and reminded me of something people might eat after hitting the slopes -- a thing I have never done. A few decades long, and with a lot more experience with cooking, I realize that this is basically a chicken curry with a thin sauce and the rice already in the meal -- but don't let that in any way discourage you! It's delicious as is and is a wonderful take on what is otherwise chicken and rice soup. I have become a fan of using rotisserie chickens, especially during the pandemic. They are so cheap, and I can use the meat in a soup like this on the day-of grocery shopping, and, crunch the bones down for the freezer for making stock in the future. Of course, this soup can be made with a fresh chicken, but I have modified the recipe bel...

Donut Army

Search This Blog