Alu Baigan - Golden potatoes and eggpants in a spicy tomato sauce

This melt in your mouth gently spiced concoction that simply melts in your mouth, did not start out with such delicious aspirations. In fact, it started out as a lone eggplant, occupying some space in the refrigerator. I asked my helper to cut it into wedges and keep this in a zip lock bag for me. This is something that she does on occasion, although her knife skills are really, really appalling, there is not too much damage one can do cubing a large eggplant.

Well, when I looked at the eggplant, I was quite disappointed, this time not because of the chopping, it happened to be a very seedy eggplant - letting me know rather gently it is not my season...

Well, I first thought of throwing it out, then I figured that I did need to make something. I then chopped a couple of potatoes and fried both the vegetables. Voila, the seedy not so pretty looking eggplant was transformed into a melting soft and luscious creation - testimony to the fact you cannot quite go wrong with some olive oil, eggplant and garlic.

Alu Baigan or potatoes with eggplants is quite a classic dish, there are several variations of this dish. I have for some reason never really tried it, but then as they say there is always a first time.

Here is how I did it,

Alu Baigan - Eggplant and Potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 large purple eggplant, cut into wedges

2 idaho or russet potatoes, cut into wedges to match the eggplant

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/8 teaspoon asafetida

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1-2 pods of garlic, minced

3 tomatoes, very finely processed in the food processor

2 teaspoons freshly powdered coriander

1 teaspoon powdered cumin

1 teaspoon or more red chili powder

1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Rub the potatoes and eggplants with half the salt and turmeric and set aside separate.

2. Heat half the oil and fry the eggplants, this can be done in batches, it takes about 4-5 minutes for the eggplants to brown and become comfortingly soft.

3. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain (note this is very important since the eggplant does indeed absorb a generous amount of oil.

4. Fry the potatoes in the remaining oil (adding more as needed, all except 1-2 tablespoons), till the potatoes are nice and golden.

5. Remove and add the potatoes to the fried eggplants. The entire process for frying takes about 15 minutes.

6. Note, at this point, you should have oil left in the cooking wok, in this oil, add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle, about 20 seconds.

7. Add in the asafetida, ginger and garlic and cook for about 1minute.

8. Mix in the tomatoes, cumin, coriander, red chili powder and the remaining salt and cook for 5-9. minutes on low heat until the tomatoes are well cooked and the oil re-appears.

10. Mix in the eggplants and potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, till the ingredients are well mixed.

11. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Just in time - Cumin Garlic Rice

Contrary to what we might believe, even on a busy night a simple homey meal, cheers and comforts like nothing else.

I tend to reach out for my favorite spices, my parent grains and work by simle instinct. Simple basic flavors in my world are - cumin, olive oil, clarified butter (just a drizzle), steaming white basmati. The meal pretty much cooks by itself while I shower.

A simple meal of rice and lentils never fails to cheer or revive, Dal- Bhaat (bengali) as I say it or Dal Chawal (Hindi) as my husband know it is the eternal simple basic food that we know and take for granted - just like water, home, love and safety.

The past week has brought us sad news with all the devastation in Haiti. Even when this little island nation was not part of one's consciousness, you cannot help realize that world is a sadder place this week. I met a new co-worker who had lost a lot of family and cannot reach anyone. The instant simple impact of loss was so sudden and real.

A calm meal like this is probably just perfect on any occasion.

Garlic Cumin Rice

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1 cup white basmati rice, washed and drained
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1/2 cup green peas (frozen)
1/2 cup frozen corn

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oil and the ghee and add the cumin seeds and the garlic.
2. Let this cook for 1-2 minutes until your senses are enveloped in the wonderful scent of toasted cumin and garlic.
3. Add the red chili powder and the rice and mix through.
4. Gently stir in the water and green peas and the corn.
5. Bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 16-17 minutes.
6. At this point the water should have evaporates, the rice should have absorbed all of the water and the peas and corn should be clinging around the surface.
7. Leave the rice on the heat for about 10 minutes.
8. Fluff the rice gently and to mix in the flavors and serve.

Red Lentils with Swiss Chard and Nigella seeds

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

3/4 cup red lentils (masuur dal)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
1 cup chopped swiss chard
1 tablespoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Method of Preparation

1. Place the lentils, water, turmeric, salt, ginger, swiss chard in a pot and cook for 15-20 minutes.
2. The lentils soften, turn yellow and then melt into a beautiful mush, yellow with soft flecks of green.
3. Heat the ghee and add the nigella seeds and cumin seeds and cook till the seeds sizzle.
4. Pour over the lentils and serve with the rice as desired.

Food and Our Household

Food is so essential to the fabric of our household, you can actually tell by what we are eating, what the well being of our household is like. When things are even keel, the meals are flavorful, generally healthy and something most people would enjoy.

Most of these make it to this place that I call my cyber home. Monday night, I cooked couscous with vegetables from the refrigerator - red bell pepper, mushrooms and corn kernels. Frozen and cooked with the couscous.

The shrimp was also quickly put together, but tasted really nice.

Tangy Mediterranean Shrimp

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon spanish paprika

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound shrimp, shelled and de-veined

2-3 tablespoons minced parsely

1-2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 leek finely chopped

1/2 cup white wine

1-2 teaspoons chopped cilantro to garnish

Method of Preparation

1. Mix the olive oil, spanish paprika, lemon juice, salt and shrimp and toss well.

2. Add in the parsely and marinate the mixture for 30 minutes.

3. Heat the butter and add the cumin seeds and the leek and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the leek is soft.

4. Add in the shrimp mixture and the wine and simmer for 5-6 mintues.

5. Stir in the cilantro and serve with rice or couscous.

Rustic Lentil Parathas

My friend Priti has this dream of wanting to host a rustic Indian party - dishes that are authentic, simple and true to the unblemished earthy soul of Indian cooking.

Lentils parathas from Punjab is one such. Rustic Indian cooking in several ways, caters to the use of leftovers and uses very basic culinary techniques. The use of leftovers speaks to general lack of refridgeration is a rather warm country.

This morning for breakfast I used leftover lentils to make these parathas. The recipe is my creation, since I do not really have an original one. It is comforting and simple. A wholesome meal and we could not held generously slathering on the butter. I actually used 2 cups of leftover lentils of different types.

Dal Parathas - Lentil wholewheat spicy flatbreads

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Makes 10 medium breads

Ingredients

2 cups of leftover cooked dal

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups wholewheat flour (atta)

1/2 teaspoon carom seeds

1 tomato, finely chopped

1/2 onion, very finely chopped

3-4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Sesame seeds for toping

Butter or ghee for serving

Method of Preparation.

1. Place the lentils in a food process and blend to a puree.

2. Place in a bowl and stir in the red chili powder, salt and add the whole wheat flour.

3. Add the carom seeds, tomato, onion and cilantro and mix with your hands to form a moist pliable dough.

4. Roll into small 4 inch circles.

5. Press with some sesame seeds

6. Heat a gridle pan and place the bread on the pan, the non-sesame side and cook for 1-2 minutes.

7. Turn and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side, and then add a little cooking oil, and cook lightly till crisp and brown, turn and repeat.

8. Remove from fire.

9. Serve hot drizzled with additional butter and mango chutney if desired.

Note: The lentils that I used were fairly most and well seasoned. To get the well seasoned effect, the spices need to adjusted according to the lentils being used.

Weekend Musings - Hito Asian Bistro

The weekend has been peaceful, much like the calm way, this year started. One of these days, I was passing through downtown White Plains, I decided to stop by and grab lunch at a spot I had often observed but never really ended up visiting.

It took some turning and and moving round the block, before I figured out the parking. Well, my sense of direction has always been bad.

A lovely cheery place, very Pan Asian, a nice characteristic menu - Sushi, bunch of Chinese options, nothing out of the ordinary. I ordered a mango chicken with a wonton soup. The soup was quite a pleasant surprise, since I really take the wonton soup in a restaurant for granted - something that is present, constant and a filler. This wonton soup was different - fresh tasting, light soft wontons, full of light gingery filling in a hot soothing broth. Well, to balance that the mango chicken was a little disapointing. The menu had a chili next to it, this dish was rather bland, the mango a little too sweet.

Overall, this place looks like a fun place to be back maybe for a couple of drinks! Well I would have given you the 411 on this place, but just discovered that it is closing down.

Soup, Glorious Soup!

Last evening ended a difficult job, and hopfully this monday will be the begining of a new positive and beautiful journey...

This will be something that time alone can tell. I am generally looking forward to being able to spend a little more time with the kids.

Last evening, I cooked a rich, comforting and rather satisfying soup. The bulk of the efforts were really done in two key steps - the first one consisted of roasting the garlic and squash and the second step was slow cooking the leeks.

If you like garlic the way we do, you will enjoying being in the kitchen during the roasting process since the kitchen warms up to a nice, rich and toasty smell.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Garlic and Leek soup.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

1 butternut squash

1 head of garlic (6 pods are needed for this recipe)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup of thinly chopped leeks

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

4 cups water

1 cup light cream

2 teaspoons salt

1 handful parsley

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut the base and top of the garlic bulb.

3. Place the garlic in a piece of foil and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Close the foil.

4. Place the garlic and the squash in the oven and cook for about 35-40 minutes.

5. In the meantime, heat the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds and the leeks.

6. Cook the leeks on very low heat until soft and lightly browned. This process takes about 15 minutes and the leeks need to be stirred frequently during this process.

7. Remove the squash from the oven, peel and remove the seeds.

8. Place the flesh into the pot with the leeks.

9. Unwrap the garlic, pop about 6-8 cloves of the roasted garlic and place into the cooking pot.

10. Add all the remaining ingredients except the parsley and simmer for 10 minutes.

11. Cool slightly, add the parsley and puree in a blender and puree until smooth.

12. Serve warm or hot.

A new year, A neighbourhood find - Abatino's

The past two weeks of the holiday break has been especially nice and relaxing for me. We tried a bunch of new eating places, I had lots of company and most importantly, I actually had a lot of quite time with the kids, this is rather rare in this fast paced world of ours. I am sorry that this phase shall end after tomorrow, so blog readers here is wishing you a lovely, peaceful and happy 2010.
I started the year with a created cocktail that we are labeling the 2010 mixture, equal parts of contreau, sherry and sparkling pomegranate juice, looked lovely and hit the spot.
On Christmas eve, I had a rare lunch date with my daughter sans dad and brother at a neighbourhood joint called Abatino's.

The place is one, I have passed by many a time while going grocery shopping, well today was our turn to try a meal there. We settled for pizza and a salad. The restaurant is a comforting place, done up in warm colors with some attempt to replicate an Italian village scene, overall a nice cozy feel.
We ordered pizza that was generously served and a field greens salad.

The service was nice and prompt, the salad while purporting to contain bacon, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, was not very generous with the walnuts but otherwise fresh and well seasoned.

Deepta was allowed to have and entire wedge of butter so she was thrilled. She decided to discuss politics and enquired whether we would ever have a "girl" for president? She is really growing up...

LOL, did not think I would be discuss the presidency over lunch with her so soon. Back to the restaurant, I think it a great neighbourhood find, certainly fun for a casual hangout.

The details on the place,

Abatino's Pizza and Pasta

670 Broadway

North White Plains, NY