Vaingana Bhaarth (Konkan Style)

Vaingana Bhaarth is a Konkan style take on the popular Baingan ka Bharta. Vaingan means eggplant and bhaarth means Bharta. This is my mom's special recipe which brings back many childhood memories.

Hope this recipe makes a place as a comfort food as it does in my diet.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - pinch

Onion - 1

Ginger garlic - 4 paste

Tomato - 2

Coriander powder (more) - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 0.5 tsp

Red chilly powder - 0.5 tsp

Big Eggplant - 1 big

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Preparation:

1. Fry eggplant (big brinjal) directly on the gas. After its skin turns black on all sides, remove it from the gas and peel the skin. Keep it aside and let it cool down completely. 
2. Heat oil in a pan, add some green chilies and let it fry for a bit.
3. Switch off the gas once its done, add coconut, tamarind, salt and grind it in a mixer.
4. Cut some onion and put it in the mixer and grind it coarsely.
5. Mash the eggplant, put the above mix and adjust the salt according to your taste. Mix well and store in fridge.

Konkan style mashed eggplant is ready to be served with rice or Chapati.

Vaingana Bharith (Punjabi style)

Vaingana Bharith translates to Mashed Eggplant. My husband used to make this as a side for Chapathi. One of the favorites, this dish tastes amazing.

Here's the recipe for this amazing dish.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - pinch

Onion - 1

Ginger garlic - 4 paste

Tomato - 2

Coriander powder (more) - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 0.5 tsp

Red chilly powder - 0.5 tsp

Big Eggplant - 1 big

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Preparation:

1. Fry eggplant (big brinjal) directly on the gas. After its skin turns black on all sides, remove it from the gas and peel the skin. Keep it aside and let it cool down completely. 
2. Heat oil in a pan, add some Hing and mustard seeds and let it crackle.
3. Add onions and let it fry a bit.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and tomato and let it cook well
5. Once cooked, put more coriander powder and less cumin powder, red chilly powder and turmeric powder.
6. Turn off the gas. Mash eggplant and mix it in the above mixture.
7. Adjust the salt to match your taste.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Punjabi style mashed eggplant is ready to be served with puri or Chapati.

Pravasachi Bhaji

pravasachi bhaji
onion - long
batata - long and slim
fry onion in oil (5 tsp).. add batata.. salt, red chilly powder, garam masala (dharwad style), haldi.. on low flame...coriander leaves.. little water so the curry doesn't stick...

Nepali Tomato Chutney/Salsa recipe

This tomato chutney or salsa recipe was taught to me by my cook who is a nepali. The first time she made this, I loved it so much and asked her to share the recipe so I can jot it down in this diary. Thanks Sunitha for sharing this tasty recipe.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:

Coriander Leaves - handful

Garlic - 3 pods

Tomato - 4

Green Chilly - 2

Red Chilly - 1

White till - 2 tsp (optional)

Tadka:

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Preparation:

1.) Take all the ingredients in a mixer jar and grind into a paste.

2.) For tadka, take oil, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.

This goes well with rava idli, dosa, paratha or you can make tacos using this as the red salsa.

Gimchun Batata Bhaji

Gimchun Batata Bhaji translates to Hand Mashed Potato Curry. My mom used to make this as a side for Chapathi for breakfast. One of the house favorites, this dish brings back my childhood memories.

Here's the recipe for this awesome dish.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:

Potato - 3

Onion - 2 (Optional)

Tomato - 1 (Optional)

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal - 1 tsp

Chana Dal - 1 tsp

Hing - pinch

Curry leaves - 10

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 1

Turmeric Powder - 0.5 tsp

Salt - to taste

Sugar - 0.5 tsp

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Preparation:

1.) Boil potato in a cooker

2.) Heat oil in a pan

3.) Add mustard seeds and let it splutter.

4.) Add urad dal, chana dal, hing, curry leaves and cumin seeds and let it fry till it turns brown.

5.) Add chopped onions (optional), tomato (optional), green chilly and let it fry.

6.) Add turmeric powder, mashed potato and water and let it cook well.

7.) Add salt, a pinch of sugar and garnish with coriander leaves.

Gimchun Bhaji is ready to be served with puri or Chapati.

Atta Halwa

When I was a kid, my neighbors who are originally from North India, would make this dessert for festivals or as an offering to God during puja. I never knew the name of the dish, but this dish had captured my heart. Recently my mom mentioned about a brown sheera that she had eaten during a community Ganesh Chaturthi festival and I was overcome with nostalgia. In my attempt to find the name of the dish, I searched the internet and found recipes for a brown sheera called "Atta Halwa". I gave it a shot and the result - I rediscovered a long forgotten sweet from my childhood.

Atta Halwa or Wheat Halwa or Brown Sheera is a dessert that just melts in your mouth. Here is the recipe I found on the internet.

Recipe: 

Ingredients:

Ghee - 0.5 cup

Wheat Flour (Atta) - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Water - 2 cup

Dry Fruits (Cashew and Almonds) - 5 each (sliced)

Preparation:

1.) In a pan, heat ghee and add the dry fruits to it. Once the dry fruit turns slightly brown, add the atta and let it cook until it turns brown color.

2.) Meanwhile in another vessel, take water and sugar and heat it till it bubbles (boils). We are not making sugar syrup, so make sure you switch off the gas once the sugar water bubbles.

3.) Once the atta mixture turns brown and starts to ooze a bit of ghee, add this hot bubbling water slowly. Mix well so that there are no lumps formed.

Atta Halwa is ready to be served hot!

Banana Mulka

Mulka is popular dish in Konkan cuisine. Its traditionally made with Jackfruit, but you can also use Banana to make this yummy dessert. This is usually prepared during Ganesh Chaturthi and is also called Banana Modak. It looks like a fritter and is a healthy snack for kids. Here is the recipe from my mom in law and I hope you enjoy making this awesome dessert.

 

Recipe: 

Ingredients:

Banana - 3

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - 1 small ball (or a small cup)

Salt - 0.5 tsp

Semolina (Sooji/Rava) - 1 cup (or as much required to thicken the batter)

Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1.) Mash some banana in a bowl and mix it with grated coconut, crushed jaggery and salt. Make it into a fine paste by mixing well with hand.

2.) Next add rava to the above mix and mix well till it thickens.

3.) Heat oil for deep frying. Then take small portions of the batter and drop it in hot oil. Cook till they turn brown.

Hot hot Banana Mulka is ready to be served.