An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [71]
Another vegetable that was roasted was the eggplant. Once roasted, it was peeled and the inside was either mixed with chopped raw onion, fresh mint, and yogurt or cooked further with onions and tomatoes—which is the recipe I’m going to give you now.
Lacking ashes in my apartment kitchen, I roast the eggplant right on top of the stove over an open flame. This is a bit messy, so I would advise you to insert an aluminum burner liner before you start.
1 large eggplant, preferably with a stem
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of fresh ginger, about 1 inch square, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ fresh hot green chili, finely sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped Chinese parsley (coriander greens or cilantro);
reserve a little for garnishing
2 medium-sized canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
¾–1 teaspoon salt (according to size of eggplant)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garam masala
Line your gas burner with an aluminum liner or plain aluminum foil. (If you have an electric stove, place the eggplant under a preheated broiler, and turn it around until it is blackened on all sides, although it will never taste quite as smoky as when done over a flame.) Stand your eggplant, stalk up, directly over a medium-low flame. Leave it there until the bottom has burned black and looks completely scorched. Now lay it on its side. As soon as the area nearest the flame darkens and turns soft, turn the eggplant slightly. Use the stem of the eggplant to turn with. Keep turning until the whole eggplant is done. (You could use tongs, but take care not to burst the eggplant or you will have a big mess.) As more and more of the eggplant is “scorched” it will turn softer and be more difficult to handle. Don’t give up. This whole process will take 20 to 25 minutes.
Once the eggplant is “smoked,” put it on a plate and carry it to the sink. Put it under cold running water and peel the blackened outer skin under the running water. Drain, shaking off as much water as you can.
Put the peeled inside of the eggplant on a chopping board and chop it coarsely. Set aside in a plate or bowl.
Put the onion, ginger, and garlic in a blender with 3 tablespoons of water and blend to a paste at high speed.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. While heating, pour in the paste from the blender and add the turmeric. Fry this mixture, stirring frequently; after about 5 minutes, when it begins to turn brown, add the green chili and the Chinese parsley; then after about 1 minute, the chopped tomatoes. Lower the flame and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, add the chopped eggplant, raise the flame to medium low, and fry, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, seasoning with the salt, lemon juice, and garam masala.
To serve: Remove the bharta to a warm dish and serve sprinkled with Chinese parsley. It is best when eaten with pooris or hot chapatis. Serve Khare Masale Ka Gosht with it and Sookhe Aloo (“Dry” Potatoes).
Mushrooms with cumin and asafetida
SERVES 4–6
1½ pounds fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
A generous pinch ground asafetida, or ⅛-inch lump asafetida
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
2 whole hot dried red peppers
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Clean mushrooms. Chop off the coarse stem ends.
Heat oil in 3-quart pot over medium heat, and put in the asafetida. It will sizzle and expand within 5 seconds. Now add the cumin seeds, and as soon as they darken (5 to 10 seconds), the red peppers. Stir once and add the turmeric and the mushrooms. Stir mushrooms for ½ minute and add the tomato sauce, 2½ cups of water, and the salt. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from heat. The mushrooms