Aloo baingan (potato and eggplant)

Original Recipe: Manjula’s Kitchen

Manjula’s Kitchen is the very first site that I came across with onion, garlic free recipes. She even provides step by step video… I’ve tried many of her delicious recipes and here is one of my personal favourite (of course, with a few personalising).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium purple eggplant, un-peeled, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 chopped green chili (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric paste
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• Salt -to taste

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
2. Frying pan should have at least 1 1/2 inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put one piece of potato in the oil. The potato should sizzle right away. If vegetables are fried in low heat they will be very oily.
3. Fry the potatoes till they are cooked through, turn the potatoes few times while frying. Take out potatoes with a slotted spoon (this allows excess oil to drip back into the frying pan) and place on a paper towel.
4. Test the oil again with a piece of eggplant. Fry the eggplant pieces same way.
5. Heat the 1-tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
6. After they splutter, add the chopped green chillies, stir, then add the turmeric paste and stir-fry for a minute until you see the oil start to separate from the paste.
7. Add chilli and coriander powder to the paste with a little water and keep stirring on low flame.
8. Add chopped tomatoes stir-fry for a minute.
9. Add fried potatoes and eggplant mix it gently, let it simmer for three to four minute on medium low heat.
10. The gravy should be not very dry if needed add three to four spoons of water.
11. Turn off the heat and add chopped cilantro mix it well.

Potato Masala Varuval

Original recipe by Chef PS Kadam

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes - 500g

Mustard seeds - 1 pinch

White lentils (urad dhal) - 1 pinch

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Curry leaves - 2 stalk

Dry chillies, quartered - 2

Ginger, chopped - 15g

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Cumin powder - 1 pinch

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves, chopped - 5g

Garam masala - 1 pinch

METHOD

1. Wash potatoes, peel and cut into cubes. Boil three quarter done and drain water. Deep-fry potatoes, drain well and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in pan. Saute mustard seeds, white lentils, asafoetida and curry leaves till they crackle.
3. Add dry chilies and ginger, and saute till half done.
4. Put in fried potatoes and toss for about 5 seconds then remove from flame.
5. Add chili powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, salt, half of the coriander leaves and garam masala.
6. Keep on flame and toss for 1 minute. Remove from flame and check the taste.

If the potatoes are fried crisp, the taste will be even better. Control the flame to prevent the masala from getting burnt. This dish should be dry, hot and crunchy.