Vangya.cha Rassa DaNya.cha Koot Lavun

Brinjals in Peanut Sauce

I can't sleep. Today is the day for a huge event at work that the team has slogged on. Last evening the final touches were lent and at 9.00 am is the inauguration. Wish us luck.

I am here on the blog early this morning as this is a stress buster for me as usual. I always schedule my posts for an early morning release but I am actually typing this one at 4.00 am today.

What is better than writing about a curry that I enjoyed over the weekend. The name is in Marathi and sounds like hailing a mughal entering the court like, "Ba mulayza, shajahan, malik e mulk, bashah..." Humm but actually it is a just a simple Brinjal/ Eggplant in peanut sauce.

This curry is lipsmacking good, especially with Bajarichi Bhakari. It is common to the Ghati cooking in Maharashtra and up in North Karnataka. Though my version is much toned down it can be fiery in these regions as this is the farmer's food. Brinjals grow in abundance in these areas and they don't really have a diverse choice in vegetables in the villages but this creation is a gem that every one enjoys at most times or goes back to many times. Mine is ofcourse a pressure cooker version.

You will need.

Ingredients

10 baby brinjals/ eggplants
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
2 teaspoon oil
2 green chilies split
few curry leaves
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/ teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Kala masala or garam masala
salt to taste

Prepare the brinjals by washing and slitting the bulb into 4 like a flower. Do not slit all the way. Slit it till the calyx so that it is held together even while cooking.

Heat oil in the pressure cooker. Prepare the seasoning by spluttering mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, split green chilies. Then add the brinjals, fry a bit to give a nice coating of oil.

At this point add the crushed peanut, they must be powdered but not completely. It should not make the dish pasty so leave the peanuts a wee bit coarse.

Follow in with the turmeric, red chilli powder, kala masala and salt. Top up with water about a glass or more should be good. Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and allow 3 whistles. Cool to subside the steam and then safely open it. Do not stir just shake and swirl the cooker around. If you try to stir you will end up with the eggplants melded in the gravy and just stems floating in. So be careful.

While serving use a spoon to delicately pick each brinjal and place on the plate. Then pour a little gravy over it. Serve with rotis of any kind but for a thorough enjoyment it has to be Bajarichi Bhakari or Katak Jolad roti.

You will love it. Its full paisa vasool especially for our parents generation as it is do to with their memories of villages where they grew up.

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Joke:

I was leaving a chapati sandwich for W. First fussed about packing it properly to keep it well till lunch time then asked what it was?

Me: Fried eggplant sandwiched in chapati.

W: After touching recoiled with great animation both on face and limb. Egg!!! and almost a yucky word coming out... {We don't eat egg, but in cake it is ok ;)}

Me: Gosh! Chill. Eggplant is different from Egg! It is a Brinjal :). LOL