Egg plant or aubergine
James Silverton
an Indian recipe using eggplant (or aubergine if you will). I
don't much like Melanzane Parmigana either so I am not being
racist. The only eggplant recipe that I really like is the dip
Baingan Bhartha made with smoked roasted eggplant. Can anyone
come up with some ggod recipes?
James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland
E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
Rex M F Smith
Silverton <not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not@?.?.invalid> writes
>I am provoked to write this after another disappointing trial of an
>Indian recipe using eggplant
My test of a new Indian *restaurant* is ... can they make a tasty bhaji
from the stuff
I *don't* like eggplant / aubergine / nasu (Japanese) ... if they can
make it tasty enough to eat ... nothing seems to be beyond them :-)
That hasn't helped you, sorry!
--
Rex M F Smith
Rex M F Smith
<see...@virgin.net> writes
>Aubergine is foul slimey stuff in most recipes
>the only thing I'd actually choose to do with it
>would be to fry it,
I've had it grilled, with goat's cheese wrapped in it (not Indian, but)
That was o.k.
It is *not* my fruit of choice
Steph Peters
>I am provoked to write this after another disappointing trial of
>an Indian recipe using eggplant (or aubergine if you will). I
>don't much like Melanzane Parmigana either so I am not being
>racist. The only eggplant recipe that I really like is the dip
>Baingan Bhartha made with smoked roasted eggplant. Can anyone
>come up with some ggod recipes?
I don't much like aubergine either. The only aubergine dish that I really
enjoy is a dip, Baba Ganoush, which is another smoky flavoured one. Recipe
here:
http://www.recipesource.com/munchies/appetizers/baba-ganoush1.html
My recommendation is to simply accept that you don't like aubergine, and
give up on it, as I did.
--
Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.
Steph Peters, Manchester, England
email: delete invalid from e...@sandbenders.demon.co.uk.invalid
Judy Bolton
"James Silverton" <not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not> wrote in message
news:xq6dndQYl7PaiqnY...@comcast.com...
>I am provoked to write this after another disappointing trial of an Indian
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
> not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
Hi, James,
Have you tried using the smaller eggplants - the smaller green ones (and I
don't mean Thai, although they are pretty good, actually, and you may want
to try them) or the thinner but longer, purple, Japanese eggplants? I think
they have a better texture and taste than "typical" big, dark purple
eggplants.
You're in Maryland - pop over to Wegmans in Virginia - they carried at least
four eggplant varieties up by me over the summer (I am in Rochester, NY,
although come from Maryland). They might be down to just a couple of
varieties now.
This is a nice recipe if you have tender little eggplants. It's a Tamil
recipe I got from... somewhere, and you should have no problem getting the
ingredients in Montgomery County. Oh, gingelly oil is sesame oil.
OK, back to lurking!
Yenna Kathirikai
1/4 kg eggplants of the same size
salt to taste
2-3 dried red chillies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
a pinch of turmeric powder
4 tablespoons gingelly oil or any other oil (gingelly oil is preferable)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon urad dal
1 onion finely chopped
few curry leaves
Remove the crown from the eggplant and slit them into four and set aside.
Roast red chillies and cumin together and grind into powder.
Mix the ground powder with salt and turmeric powder and spread the powder
inside the slit eggplants taking care not to break them. Let it sit for 10
minutes.
In a skillet, heat the oil and the mustard seeds and urad dal and once they
start spluttering and the
chopped onions and curry leaves. After 2 minutes add the brinjals and let it
cook in low heat. Keep the
skillet covered and cook till the eggplant shrink and turn reddish.
Serve hot.
James Silverton
You wrote on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 02:38:44 GMT:
JB> "James Silverton" <not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not> wrote
JB> in message
news:xq6dndQYl7PaiqnY...@comcast.com...
??>> I am provoked to write this after another disappointing
??>> trial of an Indian recipe using eggplant (or aubergine if
??>> you will). -- snip -- Can anyone come up with some ggod
??>> recipes?
??>>
??>> James Silverton
??>> Potomac, Maryland
??>>
??>> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
??>> not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
JB> Hi, James,
JB> Have you tried using the smaller eggplants - the smaller
JB> green ones (and I don't mean Thai, although they are pretty
JB> good, actually, and you may want to try them) or the
JB> thinner but longer, purple, Japanese eggplants? I think
JB> they have a better texture and taste than "typical" big,
JB> dark purple eggplants.
JB> You're in Maryland - pop over to Wegmans in Virginia - they
JB> carried at least four eggplant varieties up by me over the
JB> summer (I am in Rochester, NY, although come from
JB> Maryland). They might be down to just a couple of
JB> varieties now.
JB> This is a nice recipe if you have tender little eggplants.
JB> It's a Tamil recipe I got from... somewhere, and you should
JB> have no problem getting the ingredients in Montgomery
JB> County. Oh, gingelly oil is sesame oil.
JB> OK, back to lurking!
JB> Yenna Kathirikai
JB> 1/4 kg eggplants of the same size
JB> salt to taste
JB> 2-3 dried red chillies
JB> 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
JB> a pinch of turmeric powder
JB> 4 tablespoons gingelly oil or any other oil (gingelly oil
JB> is preferable) 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
JB> 1/2 teaspoon urad dal
JB> 1 onion finely chopped
JB> few curry leaves
JB> Remove the crown from the eggplant and slit them into four
JB> and set aside.
JB> Roast red chillies and cumin together and grind into
JB> powder.
JB> Mix the ground powder with salt and turmeric powder and
JB> spread the powder inside the slit eggplants taking care not
JB> to break them. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
JB> In a skillet, heat the oil and the mustard seeds and urad
JB> dal and once they start spluttering and the
JB> chopped onions and curry leaves. After 2 minutes add the
JB> brinjals and let it cook in low heat. Keep the
JB> skillet covered and cook till the eggplant shrink and turn
JB> reddish.
Thanks, I'll have to look into that recipe. There are a
remarkably large number of different and very attractive
*looking* eggplants available in the stores at the moment, from
the big purple monsters down to green and white striped Thai
eggplants the size of a plum tomato. Reddish ones with
lengthwise white stripes are great to look at uncooked! The ones
I used in my last abortive attempt were small thin light purple
ones about 6 to 8 inches long, labelled "Indian Eggplants".
Judy Bolton
>The ones I used in my last abortive attempt were small thin light purple
>ones about 6 to 8 inches long, labelled "Indian Eggplants".
>
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
Well, it may be that you are like my husband, who, with the exception of the
tiny green Thai eggplants, simply cannot enjoy the thing no matter how it's
cooked.
Good luck!
Judy
James Silverton
You wrote on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 02:38:44 GMT:
JB> Have you tried using the smaller eggplants - the smaller
JB> green ones (and I don't mean Thai, although they are pretty
JB> good, actually, and you may want to try them) or the
JB> thinner but longer, purple, Japanese eggplants? I think
JB> they have a better texture and taste than "typical" big,
JB> dark purple eggplants.
JB> You're in Maryland - pop over to Wegmans in Virginia - they
JB> carried at least four eggplant varieties up by me over the
JB> summer (I am in Rochester, NY, although come from
JB> Maryland). They might be down to just a couple of
JB> varieties now.
JB> This is a nice recipe if you have tender little eggplants.
JB> It's a Tamil recipe I got from... somewhere, and you should
JB> have no problem getting the ingredients in Montgomery
JB> County. Oh, gingelly oil is sesame oil.
JB> OK, back to lurking!
JB> Yenna Kathirikai
JB> 1/4 kg eggplants of the same size
JB> salt to taste
JB> 2-3 dried red chillies
I thought I might try this but I have a problem with the
chillies. Assuming hot chillies, these come in many sizes. The
ones I have are 1 to 2 inch long but I have seen much bigger
ones. What size would you use?
Unfortunately, as we have discussed on this ng in the past,
Indian cooks are very parochial about chillies. "Real chillies
are what my grandma bought at the market" often seems to sum
things up :-)
Incidentally, I did a little investigating and found the recipe
is also called Ennai Katharikai.
James Silverton
You wrote to Judy Bolton on Sat, 21 Oct 2006 14:29:14 -0400:
JB>> This is a nice recipe if you have tender little eggplants.
JB>> It's a Tamil recipe I got from... somewhere, and you
JB>> should have no problem getting the ingredients in
JB>> Montgomery County. Oh, gingelly oil is sesame oil.
JB>> OK, back to lurking!
JB>> Yenna Kathirikai
JB>> 1/4 kg eggplants of the same size
JB>> salt to taste
JB>> 2-3 dried red chillies
JS> I thought I might try this but I have a problem with the
JS> chillies. Assuming hot chillies, these come in many sizes.
JS> The ones I have are 1 to 2 inch long but I have seen much
JS> bigger ones. What size would you use?
JS> Unfortunately, as we have discussed on this ng in the past,
JS> Indian cooks are very parochial about chillies. "Real
JS> chillies are what my grandma bought at the market" often
JS> seems to sum things up :-)
JS> Incidentally, I did a little investigating and found the
JS> recipe is also called Ennai Katharikai.
I tried the recipe with 3 1-inch chillies per person and it was
not bad but nothing I am going to repeat despite the fact that I
like curry leaves a lot!
It takes like an hour to cook down the egg plants and they are
improved by a little lemon juice as others have suggested. I
wonder if it has occurred to people in Kerala that the intitial
cooking of the chillies and cumin could be avoided by buying a
can of American South-Western chili powder where the ingredients
are already combined?
Judy Bolton
snip
JS> Incidentally, I did a little investigating and found the
> JS> recipe is also called Ennai Katharikai.
>
> I tried the recipe with 3 1-inch chillies per person and it was not bad
> but nothing I am going to repeat despite the fact that I like curry leaves
> a lot!
>
> It takes like an hour to cook down the egg plants and they are improved by
> a little lemon juice as others have suggested. I wonder if it has occurred
> to people in Kerala that the intitial cooking of the chillies and cumin
> could be avoided by buying a can of American South-Western chili powder
> where the ingredients are already combined?
>
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
I am sure that name can be transliterated a number of ways! It's always fun
for me (a language and food lover) to see one recipe with a half a dozen
names, all quite close.
I usually use serranos when cooking Indian food, rarely jalapenos, when
fresh green hot peppers are called for. In the case of this recipes, where
dried red peppers are called for, I use sanaam, which I order from Penzeys,
or I just use regular dried red chilies, which I buy in the Indian grocery
store. They look a lot like cayennes to me, but they are probably another,
yet close, variety.
As for using a ready mix of chili powder, I find that most of these also
contain (correctly) oregano, so I personally would not recommend that for an
Indian dish! I usually roast and grind when it calls for it, liking the
fresh flavor. I only use the ground when the recipe already calls for it.
But that's just me.
I am also a sucker for curry leaves - I keep a nice supply in the freezer at
all times.
Have you had yoghurt/curd rice before? I love the taste of curry leaves in
that...
Judy
James Silverton
You wrote on Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:15:48 GMT:
I take the point about prepared chili powder. I'd forgotten
about oregano etc.
JB> I am also a sucker for curry leaves - I keep a nice supply
JB> in the freezer at all times.
JB> Have you had yoghurt/curd rice before? I love the taste of
JB> curry leaves in that...
I'm always interested in recipes that use curry leaves but have
not tried the rice. Do you have a recipe?
James Silverton
You wrote on Mon, 23 Oct 2006 10:02:12 +0200:
??>> I
??>> wonder if it has occurred to people in Kerala that the
??>> intitial cooking of the chillies and cumin could be
??>> avoided by buying a can of American South-Western chili
??>> powder where the ingredients are already combined?
A> I wonder if it has occured to you that the price, to an
A> Keralan houswife, of buying canned pre-prepared spices in a
A> can would probably feed the whole familiy for a week?
As Judy has pointed out, there are probably other things in
chili powder than were called for in the recipe :-)Freshness is
a real consideration of course but why take cost so seriously?
If the Keralans wanted American chili powder, they would
doubtless make it themselves!
By the way, the idea that Indian cooks are purists, making
things from scratch, is something that does not seem to survive
travel. I use an Indian store frequented mainly by people who
look and sound of Indian extraction and it sells 1 pound cans of
imported curry powder! I'd never think of buying those myself.
Rex M F Smith
<see...@virgin.net> writes
>On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 20:50:53 -0400, "James Silverton"
><not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not> wrote:
>
>> I
>>wonder if it has occurred to people in Kerala that the intitial
>>cooking of the chillies and cumin could be avoided by buying a
>>can of American South-Western chili powder where the ingredients
>>are already combined?
>
>houswife, of buying canned pre-prepared spices in a can would probably
>feed the whole familiy for a week?
>
What occurred to me is that one cannot guarantee the access to
proprietary mixes in a non-local area.
The language problem is quite another issue ... canned goods have
labels; labels have to be understood
The local Bengali-origin women don't all shop in the supermarket and
when they do they buy a very limited range of goods ...
Judy Bolton
>
> JB> Have you had yoghurt/curd rice before? I love the taste of
> JB> curry leaves in that...
>
> I'm always interested in recipes that use curry leaves but have not tried
> the rice. Do you have a recipe?
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland
>
> E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
Oh, boy, if you've not had this, you are in for a treat (well, I hope!).
Some recipes call for milk, some don't - I make it without milk, but I think
what I have had in the restaurants probably have some in it. Sometimes I
add a little grated ginger and/or some soaked urad dal which I pat dry
before throwing it in to the hot oil along with the mustard seeds.
This is the recipe I usually use:
Curd Rice
6 cups cooked basmati rice
3 cups plain yogurt (used lowfat)
1/3 tsp turmeric
1 tsp mustard seed
pinch of hing (asafetida)
4 dried chilis, broken in half
salt
1 stalk curry leaves (oh, say, at least eight fresh/frozen leaves)
2-3 tbsp oil
Heat the oil in a small pan, and then add the dried chilis. When they change
color, add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the curry leaves. Fry
for 2 minutes or so, then add the haldi and hing. Remove from heat and add
to yogurt in a bowl. Mix well, then stir in the rice. Salt to taste. Chill
until ready to eat.
Now, here is one I want to try soon - it's a beverage with curry leaves. I
love Indian spiced buttermilk/yoghurt, but haven't made it with curry leaves
before:
Andhra Spiced Buttermilk – Majjiga
Ingredients:
4 glasses of buttermilk (made from 4 parts water and 1 part curds)
1-2 green chilies finely chopped (adjust according to your choice)
½” ginger piece grated or crushed
A few curry leaves (only fresh leaves)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves (optional)
Mix all the above ingredients and chill. Serve cold.
Another variation is to add a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves to
the above prepared majjiga. Heat ½ tsp of oil in a pan and add 1/2 tsp of
mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the curry leaves and let the
flavors blend in the oil, remove from heat and immediately add to the
majjiga and cover for a few minutes and then blend with a churner for a
minute and chill. Serve cold.
James, I have many, many recipes calling for curry leaves, so let me know if
you are interested. I should post one more recipe for kadhi, which is a
yoghurt "curry" that is served with rice, and may or may not have fritters
in them. I love it, but usually make it when my husband is not home for
dinner, as it is one of the few Indian dishes he does not enjoy. I'll post
it as a separate thread.
As for ready-made spice mixes, etc., South Indian women do use them - both
here in the US and in India, and I am sure in the UK, as well. No, not
everyone has access to them or the finances to afford them, but you cannot
make a blanket statement that it's not plausible. It is.
James Silverton
You wrote on Tue, 24 Oct 2006 01:37:49 GMT:
JB>>> Have you had yoghurt/curd rice before? I love the taste
JB>>> of curry leaves in that...
??>>
??>> I'm always interested in recipes that use curry leaves but
??>> have not tried the rice. Do you have a recipe?
??>>
??>> James Silverton
??>> Potomac, Maryland
??>>
??>> E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not
JB> Oh, boy, if you've not had this, you are in for a treat
JB> (well, I hope!). Some recipes call for milk, some don't - I
JB> make it without milk, but I think what I have had in the
JB> restaurants probably have some in it. Sometimes I add a
JB> little grated ginger and/or some soaked urad dal which I
JB> pat dry before throwing it in to the hot oil along with the
JB> mustard seeds.
JB> This is the recipe I usually use:
JB> Curd Rice
JB> 6 cups cooked basmati rice
JB> 3 cups plain yogurt (used lowfat)
JB> 1/3 tsp turmeric
JB> 1 tsp mustard seed
JB> pinch of hing (asafetida)
JB> 4 dried chilis, broken in half
JB> salt
JB> 1 stalk curry leaves (oh, say, at least eight fresh/frozen
JB> leaves) 2-3 tbsp oil
JB> Heat the oil in a small pan, and then add the dried chilis.
JB> When they change color, add the mustard seeds. When they
JB> splutter, add the curry leaves. Fry for 2 minutes or so,
JB> then add the haldi and hing. Remove from heat and add to
JB> yogurt in a bowl. Mix well, then stir in the rice. Salt to
JB> taste. Chill until ready to eat.
JB> Now, here is one I want to try soon - it's a beverage with
JB> curry leaves. I love Indian spiced buttermilk/yoghurt, but
JB> haven't made it with curry leaves before:
JB> Andhra Spiced Buttermilk – Majjiga
JB> Ingredients:
JB> 4 glasses of buttermilk (made from 4 parts water and 1 part
JB> curds) 1-2 green chilies finely chopped (adjust according
JB> to your choice) ½” ginger piece grated or crushed
JB> A few curry leaves (only fresh leaves)
JB> 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
JB> Salt to taste
JB> Coriander leaves (optional)
JB> Mix all the above ingredients and chill. Serve cold.
JB> Another variation is to add a tempering of mustard seeds
JB> and curry leaves to the above prepared majjiga. Heat ½ tsp
JB> of oil in a pan and add 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds and let
JB> them splutter. Add the curry leaves and let the flavors
JB> blend in the oil, remove from heat and immediately add to
JB> the majjiga and cover for a few minutes and then blend with
JB> a churner for a minute and chill. Serve cold.
JB> James, I have many, many recipes calling for curry leaves,
JB> so let me know if you are interested. I should post one
JB> more recipe for kadhi, which is a yoghurt "curry" that is
JB> served with rice, and may or may not have fritters in them.
JB> I love it, but usually make it when my husband is not home
JB> for dinner, as it is one of the few Indian dishes he does
JB> not enjoy. I'll post it as a separate thread.
Thanks again for all the recipes! I'm certainly going to try the
yoghurt rice this week-end since I had to buy a lot of curry
leaves and, while they keep for a while refrigerated, they seem
to lose much of their flavor when frozen. I read somewhere that
the way to freeze basil was to make ice cubes by filling up the
tray with water after putting in as much basil as possible. I
wonder if it would work with curry leaves?
A long time ago, I came across a method for making fat-free
buttermilk that I have used many times that might interest you
and which really seems to work.
Fat-Free Buttermilk: Combine 1½ teaspoons white vinegar with
enough skim milk
to equal ½ cup; let stand 5 minutes.
Judy Bolton
> Thanks again for all the recipes! I'm certainly going to try the
> yoghurt rice this week-end since I had to buy a lot of curry leaves and,
> while they keep for a while refrigerated, they seem to lose much of their
> flavor when frozen. I read somewhere that the way to freeze basil was to
> make ice cubes by filling up the tray with water after putting in as much
> basil as possible. I wonder if it would work with curry leaves?
I had never thought about it, but I might try this and see how it works. My
only "beef" with frozen curry leaves is that they pop ever so dangerously!
>
>
> A long time ago, I came across a method for making fat-free buttermilk
> that I have used many times that might interest you and which really seems
> to work.
>
> Fat-Free Buttermilk: Combine 1½ teaspoons white vinegar with enough skim
> milk
>
> to equal ½ cup; let stand 5 minutes.
>
>
Thanks, James! That is interesting. I am able to buy low-fat buttermilk
(actually, I think I'd have a hard time buying full fat if I needed it) but
that is a handy recipe to have.
Thanks!
Judy