Baingan Bharta

Ingredients:

1 Aubergine/Eggplant

1 Yellow onion (chopped)

2 Tomatoes (chopped)

5 small green chillies (chopped)

4 garlic pods

1 piece ginger

1tsp Cumin seeds

1 1/2tsp Coriander powder

3/4tsp Cumin powder

1/2tsp Chilli powder

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

Salt

Oil

How to:

• Coat the eggplant with oil and bake at 500 degrees for 20 mins.

• Peel the skin and give it a rough chop to form chunks of eggplant.

• Crush the garlic and ginger together and keep it aside.

• In a skillet, heat oil, add cumin seeds and crushed ginger-garlic and saute for a min.

• Now add onions along with salt and saute until tender. Do not brown them.

• Add green chillies, saute for a min and add turmeric powder.

• Then add tomatoes and cook for 2 mins at a reduced flame with lid closed.

• Add coriander powder, cumin powder and chilli powder and cook till tomatoes are completely mashed.

• Now mix the eggplant chunks to the masala, mix well and cook for 3 more mins.

• Sprinkle water if the masala dries out and check salt for taste.
• Switch off and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with dosa/idly/chapathi/steamed rice.

Sending this dish to the event 'Dish Name Starts with: B' hosted by Akila.

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice (cooked)

1 cup grated Coconut (frozen-thawed)

1tsp Ginger (grated)

2 small Green chilli (chopped)

5-6 Curry leaves

3 dry red chillies (broken)

1tsp Mustard seeds

1tsp Cumin seeds

1/2tbsp Chana dal

1/2tbsp Urad dal

4-5 Cashews (optional)

1 pinch Asafoetida

Salt

2tbsp Coconut Oil

Cilantro (for garnish)

How to:

• In a skillet, heat coconut oil, add dry red chillies and mustard seeds, when it splutters, add cumin seeds and chana dal.

• Roast until it turns slightly brown, then add urad dal, cashews and roast'em.
• Add asafoetida and ginger, followed by green chilli and curry leaves. Also add salt.

• Now add the grated coconut and roast in a reduced flame till it turns slightly brown.

• Mix the cooked rice well and check salt for taste.

• Switch off and garnish with cilantro.

Serve hot with chips or spicy potato roast.