Tag: Bihari Recipes

Ingredients

• Eggplants (long, fat variety)-3
• Medium sized potato (boiled)-1 (optional)
• Medium sized tomato-1
• Garlic- 4-6
• Green chilies- 2 or to taste
• Coriander, chopped fine-2 tablespoons
• Salt-1.5 teaspoon or to taste
• Mustard oil-2 tablespoons (This oil gives a nice smoky and earthy flavor to the dish but if you find the original taste of the oil too strong, feel free to use safflower or peanut oil)

Instructions

1. Cut the eggplants into half lengthwise but not all the way till the end so that you retain the stem. This comes in handy in flipping the eggplants when roasting it on stove top
2. Applying medium pressure, embed the garlic cloves into the partially sliced eggplants. Now place the eggplant on the stovetop with the flame on high. Roast on high flame turning it over carefully using tongs once the lower side is done. It takes around 5-7 minutes for an entire eggplant to be roasted on high flame. You know it is well roasted when the outer purple skin is charred and starts to peel off; the inner pulp changes color to an off-white from white. Let it cool and then peel the skin off completely and chop off the stem as well. Take out the garlic embedded within, peel and keep aside
3. While the eggplants are roasting pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with foil. Using a toothpick poke some holes into the tomato. Place the tomato and green chilies on the baking tray, brush with some mustard oil and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the chilies are crisp and brown and tomato just starts to shrink and a toothpick or a fork when inserted glides through. Turn off the heat and let cool. You could also roast the tomato and chilli on an iron skillet
4. Once all the ingredients have cooled off to room temperature, place them in a wide bowl, add the boiled potato if using and mash them together using your hands or a fork. Add salt and drizzle with a teaspoon of oil and give the bowl another nice mix before garnishing with chopped coriander
5. Serve with rice or hot plain or stuffed parathas

Notes

Ingredients

• Medium sized eggplants (the long and thin variety or even the baby eggplants are great)-3
• Medium sized potato (optional)-1 (cubed)
• Medium sized onion (sliced fine)-2
• Small raddish (sliced into thin discs)-1 (optional)
• Medium sized tomato (chopped)-1
• Fresh or dried fenugreek leaves- 1 cup (if fresh) or ½ cup (if dried)
• Garlic (chopped fine)-4 (using finely chopped garlic enhances the flavour)
• Panchforan (five spice mix)-1 teaspoon( see here how to prepare your own five spice mix if you do not have one handy- https://www.instagram.com/p/BVWq7qdFxrY/?taken-by=onewholesomemeal)
• Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
• Salt-1.5 teaspoon or to taste
• Mustard oil- 1.5 tablespoons

Instructions

1. Cut the eggplants into 3 inch long and 1 inch wide pieces. This is totally subjective, I cut them long as I like them chunky, you could also cut smaller but make sure not to make it too fine to avoid turning it into mush while cooking. Soak the cut eggplants into a bowl of tap water for 15-20 minutes to take away the sharp bitterness. Drain well after 20 minutes and dry on a kitchen towel. It is extremely important that the eggplant pieces are dry before cooking as they will release water during the cooking process and if they are not dried well to begin with the chances of the preparation turning to mush is higher
2. Wash, drain, pat dry the fresh fenugreek leaves. Chop and keep aside
3. Heat the mustard oil in a pan and when the oil is hot, add panchforan. When the seeds start to splutter add onion, garlic, potato and radish (if using). Cook on medium high heat till the onion is brown and the potatoes are halfway cooked
4. Add eggplant and mix well. Turn the heat to medium and cook uncovered till it releases water and all the released water dries up completely.
5. Once all the water has dried the eggplant is mostly cooked. Now add tomato and fenugreek leaves. If you are using fresh leaves, wait until the leaves release water and the water dries up before adding salt and turmeric powder. It takes around 10-12 minutes for the fresh fenugreek leaves to cook through so they do not taste bitter. Dried leaves cook much faster and 5-7 minutes would be enough before you turn off the heat
6. Give the dish a last final mix, turn off the heat, garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with plain steamed rice and split mung daal and a side of onion and green chilies with a dash of lime

Notes