Vegetable Dishes

Begun Pora (Rich Roasted Eggplant)

Heat oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Fry kalonji seeds and whole green chilies for a few seconds, then add onion and fry until it is richly browned but not burnt. Add chopped green chili, turmeric, salt, sugar and tomatoes. Simmer, covered, until tomatoes disintegrate into sauce, about 10 minutes.

Add the eggplant and simmer, covered, at least 10 minutes to blend flavours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes to help develop flavours. Add cilantro & green onions. Mix and serve.

Like most Indian dishes, this is one that improves drastically with age. I usually make it the day before the meal & then reheat just before serving.

Roast the eggplant. To roast, stand one eggplant on a burner of a gas stove, stem side uppermost, over a low flame until the bottom of the eggplant is throughly charred (about 5 minutes). Now lay the eggplant on its side, and roast, turning it every minute with a pair of tongs until it is fully charred and very soft (about 15-20 minutes). When fully cooked, the eggplant will be quite limp, the skin blistered, and the juices beginning to ooze out. It can also be roasted on a baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 500oF oven for 20 minutes, but it will not develop quite the right smoky flavour.

Let the eggplants cool briefly. Then carefully scrape the charred skin off. Rinse quickly under running cold water to wash away any skin that may still cling to the eggplant. Place the eggplants in a small bowl. With paper towels, pat dry all the juices oozing out, pressing the eggplant slightly.The juices carry the bitterness often found in eggplant, therefore it is essential you dry them thoroughly. Then chop the pulp coarsely with a knife. Chop hard lumps fine. Put the pulp in a small bowl and beat with a fork for a minute. Set aside.

Heat the oil over a medium-high heat in a shallow pan, preferably one with a non-stick surface. When the oil is hot, add garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring for a minute. Add onions and fry until they are light golden -- do not let them brown -- (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly to prevent burning. Reduce heat to medium, add eggplant and cook for an additional 8 minutes, stirring often.

Add tomatoes and chilies, and continue cooking until the eggplant and tomatoes are fried (about 10 minutes). Add peas and cook until a glaze forms on the puree (about 5 minutes). Turn off heat, stir in salt. Just before serving, fold in chopped coriander.

Peel and cube eggplant. Cook in one inch boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until tender; drain and discard water. Chop cooked eggplant and mix with onion, green pepper, 3/4 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, cheese, paprika, pepper and remaining salt. Cool and chill 2-3 hours or overnight. Drop mixture by heaping teaspoonsful into flour and coat completely. Beat other egg; dip eggplant balls into egg and then coat with remaining bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil until brown. Can be frozen and reheated in 350 degrees oven.

Saute the onions and garlic in the butter or shortening until golden brown. Stir in the turmeric. Add the eggplant pulp and saute briefly, stirring well. Add the salt and pepper. Stir tomato into the eggplant. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Pour eggs over the eggplant. When the eggs start to solidify, stir briefly, and serve.

Tortillas: Heat a heavy skillet till it is very hot. Put in a tablespoon of oil and spread it around the skillet. Put one of the tortillas on the skillet and move it around to get it warm and also a little greasy (15 seconds). (Without this the tortillas will stick to the bottom of the pan while baking.) Flip sides and repeat. Lay on paper towel and repeat for all tortillas. Keeping adding a teaspoon of oil whenever the skillet gets dry.

Enchiladas: In a large skillet, begin sauteing onions and garlic in 3 tablespoons oil. Add salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium hear for about five minutes. Add the eggplant. Mix. Cover and cook for about ten minutes or until eggplant is soft. Add peppers, almonds and black pepper. Cook another five minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add cheese. Mix.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each tortilla with 1/2 cup of filling on one side and roll it up. Place the filled tortillas in a baking pan, packing them close to each other and pour the hot sauce over the top. Heat in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy saucepan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Stir for half a minute. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Stir and cook for about two minutes. Put in the coriander and stir a few times.Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, mashing the tomato pieces with the back of a slotted spoon. Add the beans and salt and one cup of water. Bring to simmer. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender enough. Remove the cover. Add the lemon juice and lots of freshly ground pepper. Turn up the heat and boil away the remaining liquid, stirring the beans gently as you do so.

Spinach cooks down a great deal, but you'll need a BIG pot to hold it at first. One of those blue-speckled enamel pots that we used for crab-boiling when I lived in Baltimore would do fine. Or cook the spinach in batches and recombine in the serving bowl.

Turn onto a cutting board and chop very fine. Do not use a food processor.

Place in a serving dish and flatten with a spatula. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and the oil. Just before serving, sprinkle with lemon juice.

Slice the tops off tomatoes. Mix Italian seasoning with bread crumbs, basil, and a dash of salt. Spread bread crumb mixture over cut section of tomatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Add 1-2 pats of margarine. Bake for 15 minutes at 350-400oF.

For each onion: cut off the shriveled end, then cut 6-8 shallow slits just through the brown peel, going lengthwise all the way from the shriveled end to the root; pull back the flaps of peel in a bunch, like a pony tail, over the root; plop the onion on top of the pile of seasonings on the foil, and then bunch the foil all around it, so the whole onion is completely wrapped -- except for the bunched up onion peel, which should be poking out the top.

Pour 1/4 of the sherry vinegar and stock, plus a few pinches of salt and pepper, into each of the foil packets before giving the foil a final pinch to seal it well, and bake on a cooking sheet for around 45 minutes or until soft. (Note: the onion peel will be black.)

When the onion is done, heat a Tbsp or so of butter or olive oil in a saute pan over medium high-high heat, add the mushroom chunks and ham and saute until slightly browned, stir in the diced tomato, pour in the juices from the onion packets, stir until hot and then remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste, add a bit more sherry vinegar if desired, and then whisk in additional salad oil (if desired) to make it into a vinaigrette.

Put each onion in the center of a plate and spoon sauce around it, sprinkle with chives.

Drain artichokes and place on bottom of 3 quart casserole. Squeeze as much moisture as possible from spinach and layer on top of artichokes. Blend cream cheese, mayonnaise and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Spread mixture over spinach. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper to taste. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Bake, uncovered, in 425oF oven about 35 minutes or till lightly browned. (Or, bake frozen potatoes 1 hour.) Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Microwave directions:
Scrub potatoes; prick with fork. Place in counter-top microwave oven on paper toweling, leaving at least 1 inch between potatoes. Microwave, uncovered, on high power for 13 to 15 minutes or till done. Halfway through cooking time, rearrange and turn potatoes. Prepare potato shells and mashed potato mixture as directed. Fill potato shells. Place in a 10x6x2-inch non-metal baking dish. Cover and refrigerate as directed. Before serving, microwave, uncovered, on high power about 10 minutes or till potatoes are heated through, rearranging potatoes twice. (Or, microwave frozen potatoes for 15 to 18 minutes or till heated through.) Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

The baking powder helps keep the grated potato mixture from turning dark, but is otherwise optional.

[...] I will give you an algorithm to make your very own pot of aloo mattar, with a slight variation on the main recipe. For those of you who reckon Indian dishes in western terminologies, this is the same as Curried Potatoes and Peas in a creamy sauce with tomatoes and fresh coriander. It may sound a little odd for a South Indian to give the recipe for a typically North Indian dish - sort of like males trying to sing Meera Bhajans. But let the finger-licking results speak for themselves.

Let us start with chopping about five medium sized onions. My grandmother always told me that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she chopped onions. I mean there are those machisimos who shed no tears while chopping them by the dozens, the impressionists-cubists who refine it to an art-form and the messy ones. Hold the onion by their non-bushy end, chop the hairy cap off. Oops, you should have kept your finger slightly away from the knife. It is always easy to peel off the skin once the onion is cut into two halves. Make those longitudinal incisions first and then while holding the onion firmly and gently, make perpendicular cuts. Make sure the pieces are finely chopped. Then chop about two tablespoons of fresh ginger and about five cloves of garlic. Chop fresh coriander and set aside a third of it for later garnishing. Don't forget the tomatoes. Take about three of them and chop them finely.

It is potato time now. Nothing seems so commonplace and lowly like the potatoes. It may come as a surprise to you, but in the ancient times, potatoes were considered to be aphrodisiacs in India and were cultivated everywhere.

Well, chop about five potatoes to bite size pieces. Saute them in medium heat in oil or margarine or a little butter, turning them every once in a while. Set aside when they are browned. Indian cooking is always done at low to medium heat and you take all the time in the world about it. One wrong move, you would have already made a gravy error of gastronomical proportions. Self, for example, is a slow cooker, not a 'pressure' cooker.

Now heat some oil in a pot and when slightly heated, add a teaspoon of jeera. (and don't pronounce it as 'kyoomin', it is 'cumin') When the seeds crackle, add the onions and fry in medium heat until they almost become brown (about five minutes) add the tomatoes and fry for a while (about ten to twenty minutes) until the whole thing becomes one solid glob with oil separating out on the sides. When it is almost on the verge of getting burnt, add ginger-garlic, coriander. Don't forget to keep stirring. Add also ten cloves, about six cardamoms (or one black elaichi) two teaspoons of coriander powder and about three (broken) two-inch sticks of cinnamon and cook for additional two minutes. Once all this is fried, set aside and let it cool a while.

Then blend this mix in a blender, in two installments if necessary, to a coarse, but homogeneous pulp, with an 8 oz. of whipping cream. (you can find this in the dairy section) For a change, you can add ten almonds while blending. Then return the blended glob to the pot. Heat it to medium low, add water, 6 oz. of tomato paste, about a teaspoon and a half of chili powder, salt to taste and stir it to homogenize. Add water to make your gravy watery or thick. Add the potatoes and also a cup of thawed frozen peas. Cover the top and let it cook and stir every once in a while, with tender loving care. Don't stand too close to the pot, my dear, or you will get those little red spots splattered all over your white shirt. You will see that the gravy changes color from a dull rose to an appetizing brown. When you think it has cooked enough, take it off and let it cool. Check for spicyness. Since this has a lot of cream and tomato paste, it may taste a little weak for some bold people. In that case, add some more spices and let it cook some more. Garnish with chopped coriander.

This is also a generic gravy to which you can add other things and make other dishes. Instead of potatoes, you can add bite-sized chicken pieces shallow-fried in butter. Or, you can bake riccotta cheese in a cookie tray at 250 degrees for a half an hour and cut it into small paneer cubes and fry them in butter and make mattar paneer. See, it is simple.

And friends, like most Indian dishes, Aloo Mattar too tastes better the next day, after a little fermentation. Reheat it slowly, since the dish would have become quite solid after sitting in the fridge overnight. And as always, remember to share it with your friends. Enjoy!

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and fry the cumin seeds until they splutter. Add the cinnamon and cloves and fry for 30 seconds more. Add the potatoes and season with salt. Cover and cook on low heat until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Mix the yogurt, milk, paste and tomato with the water in a separate bowl. Add to the vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Add cream and serve at once.

Using slotted spoon, transfer half of vegetables to 9x13 baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese over. Top with remaining vegetables. Pour cooking liquid over. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese over. Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until liquid is almost absorbed, about 55 minutes.

Cool 20 minutes before serving.

Cook and mash potatoes. Saute onions and peppers in oil. Add seasonings. When vegetables begin to soften, add the corn. Saute until all vegetables are tender. While still hot, mix vegetables, cream and Cheddar cheeses into mashed potatoes. To make dough, mix water, vinegar and salt in large bowl. Add flour and butter. Mix well and work dough with hands until well combined. Form into long roll and cut in 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 6" diameter circle. Place 1/2 cup filling on each piece of dough, leaving 1/2" border. Fold dough over, seal edges with water, and crimp with fork. Traditionally, these are then fried until golden brown, but I prefer to bake them at 350 degrees until lightly golden. Serve with Pebre.

Part 2 : Stir-frying: Heat the oil in a large wok (or a frying pan) over a medium high heat. Fry the onions gently until they begin to turn brown. Add the ginger and garlic, stir well, and cook for one minute. Add the spinach, tomatoes, cauliflower, chickpeas, salt and enough balti sauce to coat all the vegetables (4-6 ladles of sauce). Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is just tender. Add the green chillies and stir-fry for 3 more minutes. Stir in the coriander.

Just before serving, sprinkle the garam masala on top. Serve with naan bread or chapatis.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a wide skillet until it is very hot. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they start popping. Add bay leaf, cardamom and cloves. Mix for a while and then add onions. Wait until onion start to turn before adding the rest of the spices (except for turmeric). Put the cauliflower in the skillet and fry in the oil and spices for 2 minutes. While the cauliflower is frying, cut up the potatoes into bite sized pieces and add to the skillet. Add turmeric and stir. Continue stirring the vegetables under medium heat for another couple of minutes. Add half a cup of water and the salt. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet and let cook for 5 minutes. Check tenderness of vegetables. If they are still too hard, add another 1/4 cup of water and cover again for 2-3 minutes.

Soak the dried mushrooms in 1/2 cup of warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. Lift them from their bath with a fork, reserving the water. Remove and discard any parts that still have some dirt attached to them. Place in a non-metallic saucepan with the fresh mushrooms. Add the oil, parsley, savory, garlic, and small amounts of salt and pepper.

Carefully pour in the reserved water from the soaked mushrooms, making sure that any sand remains at the bottom of the cup. Cook uncovered over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced to a few tablespoons. Discard the three garlic cloves and serve.

When potatoes are cooked, drain and cut into halves or quarters. Spoon curried vegetables over the potatoes.

To add chicken or shrimp as a condiment, cook separately (3 oz. per serving) and add with the zucchini and tomatoes.

Roast red bell peppers under the broiler until the skin is charred, then throw it into a paper bag and close the bag. Set it aside to cool.

Heat oven to 325 degrees, put cumin seed and oregano in a small baking pan or casserole and roast until fragrant, shaking pan occasionally (about 10 minutes). Get the red bell pepper out of the bag, peel the skin off, remove seeds etc. (After peeling, if any parts look like they got badly burned, cut them away.) Chop.

Heat oil in skillet. Saute onions, green pepper and garlic for 3 minutes, then add cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne and salt. Cook about 10 minutes more, then add tomatoes and jalapenos and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes. Add this mixture to the beans. Add bell peppers to beans. Simmer everything for a while, thinning with the rest of the saved bean liquid as desired.

SOME NOTES:

Cook peas with bacon in boiling water until peas are almost tender. Add seasonings and onion. Continue to cook until peas are done and most liquid is absorbed. Add rice and heat.

If you are not using a pressure cooker, boil the water and add the dal, salt, turmeric, ginger, and garlic. Cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.

While the dal cooks, heat the oil in a skillet and add the cumin. Fry until golden brown and add onions. Stir until onions start to brown. When the dal is done, pour the contents of the skillet into the dal and heat on low heat, until the dal thickens.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, stir in the saffron and other spices and cook until fragrant, then add all remaining ingredients. Cook and heat through gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cheese Fondue

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Add grapefruit juice. Simmer until liquid is reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Turn heat to medium-low. Add 1 handful of cheese to saucepan and stir constantly until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining cheese, 1 handful at a time. Season with pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Thin with 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice.) Stir in chopped chives and minced grapefruit peel.

Pour cheese mixture into fondue pot. Set over candle or canned heat. Serve with skewers of bread cubes for dipping. Good things to dip include pumpernickel, sourdough, or rye bread cut into 1-inch pieces, shrimp, blanched asparagus, Belgian endive leaves, baby potatoes and other raw vegetables.

Transfer to fondue pot; place over fondue burner. Spear dipper with fondue fork; dip into fondue, swirling to coat. (If mixture becomes too thick, stir in a little additional warmed beer.)

Use pieces of French bread for dipping.

Variations: Replace leeks with:

In another saucepan, melt the remaining butter, blend in flour and cook over medium heat until bubbling. Blend in leek mixture, bring to boil and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Beat egg and cream together, blend into leek mixture and pour into unbaked tart shell. Sprinkle top evenly with cheese. Bake in a preheated 400oF oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Raita

Combine salt, pepper, cumin, yogurt and cilantro in a bowl. Add the spinach. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to help develop the flavours.

Garam Masala

Garam Masala (II)

Blend equal parts:

Chinese Five Spice (2)

Blend equal parts:

Mark's Red Chile Sauce.

Blacken tomatoes in a skillet or under a broiler, ~5 minutes.

Roast cumin and oregano under broiler, until brown but not smoking.

Saute' onion in the oil over low heat until browned.

Put chiles (not incl. water) in blender. Add blackened tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano and salt. Add 1 cup liquid. (Taste chile water first. If it is *not* bitter, use chile water, otherwise add plain water or chicken stock.) Pureé to a fine paste, adding more liquid if necessary. Add oil or lard to a high sided pan, and heat until almost smoking. Refry sauce at a sizzle for 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously. Do not allow sauce to get too thick; add water if necessary.

Sauté onion in 2 tablespoons of the oil over low heat until dark and carmelized.

Place the peanut butter together with the tomatoes, garlic and water into a food processor and blend. Add the onion, chipotles, adobo sauce, red chile sauce, salt, lime juice and blend further. Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil to a high-sided pan and heat until almost smoking. Refry sauce at a sizzle for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Thin with stock if desired. Serve warm.

I served this sauce with: