Bharli Vangi (Stuffed Brinjals)

This  learnt this recipe from a very sweet Maharashtrian friend of mine long back .  Pulled it out of my drafts today:)

Ingredients
    * 12-14 small brinjals/eggplants,
    * 1 cup dry shredded coconut,
    * 1/2 cup peanut powder or peanuts (roasted),
    * 1/4 cup sesame seeds,
    * 1 tbsp each coriander-cumin seeds,
    * 2 tbsp Maharashtrian goda Masala    
    * 1 tsp tamarind pulp,
    * 1 tbsp jaggery,
    * 2 tsp chilli powder,
    * salt to taste,
    * 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (optional),
    * 1/2 tsp asafoetida,
    * 1 tsp turmeric powder.
    * 2 tsp oil


Preparation

   1. Remove stems and give four vertical slits (not fully) to the brinjals from the top. If you want to keep the stems, give the slits from the bottom of the brinajls keeping the stem intact. Keep them in salt water for 10 minutes and rinse. Set aside.
   2. Roast coconut, sesame seeds, coriander-cumin seeds together till light brown. Powder this mixture and combine tamarind, jaggery, peanut powder, ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilli powder and goda masala with the ground spices. Alternatively, grind all these ingredients together with the roasted mixture.
   3. Stuff all the brinjals with above masala.
   4. Take a kadai or a shallow non stick pan, and heat oil in it. Add mustard seeds. When you hear spluttering sound, add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
   5. Add the brinjals and the leftover masala. Gently fry for sometime. Add 1/2 cup water.
   6. Cover and cook over low-medium heat for about 15-25 min or until the brinjals turn soft and completely cooked. (To keep the masala from sticking to the bottom of the pan, cover the pan with a deep platter with some water in it. It helps the curry cook evenly without burning.)
   7. Remove the lid and stir to check if the brinjals are done. If not, cook further until well done. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapati or rice.
Variations:
1) Chop 1 small onion and combine it with the ground masala in step 2. Follow rest of the method same as above.
2) Add potato cut into vertical pieces along with the brinjals.
3) Stuff small potatoes in the same way as brinjals and cook them along with the brinjals.

VEGETABLE KORMA

Ingredients

1/2 cup shelled peas
1/2 cup cauliflower florets washed and drained
2 small carrots - cut into small cubes (I grated them, as the kids cannot separate it:)
4-5 french beans - cut in to 1/2" diagonal pieces
1/3 cup potato cut into cubes
2 onions - chopped finely
2 green chillies
4 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp salt

(CASHEW-CURD PASTE)

4 tsp poppy seeds - soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and drained
3/4 cup curd
2 tbsp cashew nuts
2 tbsp grated coconut(fresh or desiccated)
2 whole dry red chillies
1/2" piece ginger
3-4 flakes garlic
2 tsp coriander seeds,
seeds of 2-3 green cardamom

Garnish
Chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves

Preparation
Soak poppy seeds, cashew nuts, coconut, red chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds  and green cardamom in little water. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Drain and grind together to a paste along with curd.  Keep aside.
Parboil the vegetables in very little water.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add chopped onion and  cook till onions turns golden.  Add the turmeric powder,  prepared cashew-curd paste.  Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Add beans, cauliflower, potato, peas and carrots.  Stir for 2 minutes
Add 1 cup of water or enough to get a thick gravy. Bring to boil.
Add garam masala and salt.  Simmer for 5 minutes
Boil for 1 minute. Garnish and serve hot.

Celebrating 5 years of Blogging with Ghia Kofta Curry

Yes !! it's Neivedyam's 5th Birthday!! My Hearty Thanks to all the visitors, followers and Sponsors of Neivedyam. Many Thanks to the 216 Google Friend Connect members, 63 Networked Blog friends, 178 FB friends, friends who do not forget to leave comments, silent visitors, for giving me the inspiration to keep going this long. If you guys had not been around, I would have stopped blogging long back:)  Thanks to all the blog buddies who have come a long way with me since 2007. Your support means a lot to me!

   

Ingredients:

For the ghia koftas

1 1/2 cups grated bottle gourd(ghia/doodhi/laukhi)

1 cup boiled and mashed potatoes

1 tsp dry mango powder(amchur)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp Punjabi garam masala

2 tbsp besan flour

Salt to taste

Oil for deep-frying

For the Gravy

3 tbsp oil

2 tbsp broken cashewnuts(kaju)

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 tsp chopped ginger

1 tsp thinly sliced green chillies

1/2 tsp coriander(dhania) powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1/4 tsp Punjabi Garam Masala

2 tbsp cream

Salt to taste

Other Ingredients

2 tbsp chopped coriander(dhania) for the garnish

Preparation of the ghia koftas: 

• Squeeze the bottle gourd till all the water drains out
• Add all the remaining ingredients, mix well and divide in to 8 equal sized  koftas
• To the besan flour add 2-3 tsp water and make batter like consistency, roll the koftas gently in the batter.
• Heat the oil in and deep-fry the koftas in it till they are golden brown
• Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside

Preparation of the Gravy:

• Heat the oil in pan, add the cashew nuts and saute till they turn golden brown
• Remove the cashew nuts, drain out the oil and blend them to a smooth paste. keep aside
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the cumin seeds
• When they crackle, add the onions and saute till they turn translucent
• Add the garlic, ginger and green chillies and saute for another minute
• Add the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and tomatoes and cook till the oil separates from the gravy
• Add the prepared browned cashew nut paste, Punjabi grama masala, cream and salt and bring to boil.

Add the koftas to the gravy and simmer for a few minutes
Serve hot garnished with coriander