Tag: brinjal.

MANSAF PILAF RICE..VEGETARIAN VERSION.

main meal

Mansaf pilaf rice..Vegetarian Version

This pilaf comes from the middle eastern region of Jordan. Also considered their national dish. Normally cooked in JAMEED( yogurt sauce) with minimum usage of spices.
This is a version I came across on the net long back( would like to credit the blogger, but sadly unable to find it, glad I had jotted down the recipe though)
,I have adapted a bit to our liking. The taste is not very far from Indian cooking.
Served with a garlicky yogurt sauce. Its a comfort food.
The non vegetarian version uses lamb  mostly.
My version of mansaf pulav tweaked to a slightly Indian taste..😊

2 cups of Basmati Rice..washed and soaked for an hour.

Cook the rice as usual adding

1 stick of cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cinnamon powder
2 tsps salt.

THE VEGETABLE LAYER
Heat 2bsps oil
Add..
2 finely chopped onions.. saute till pale gold.
Add puree of 2 tomatoes( blanched)
Add 1/4 cup of soya granules( boil, and saute in  little oil)
Add one chopped green paprika.
Add 1 brinjal cut into small cubes
( soak in slightly salted water, squeeze and saute lightly in little oil)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
Mix everything well.. add little water and cook till  a thick gravy is left
1 tsp black pepper powder or red chilli powder.
Add 2 tsps of BAHARAT SPICE( recipe given below)
Salt to taste.
When done, keep aside.

GARLIC LABAN MOUTBOUK

Whisk 1 cup of thick yogurt with
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp besan.
( adding these will prevent curdling)

Heat 2 tsps oil and add 1 heaped tbsp of finely chopped garlic.
Saute till pale golden
Add whisked yogurt
And heat on low till you see bubbles appearing.
Shut the flame and season with salt.

To assemble..
Heap rice on a platter and top with the vegetables, drizzle some laban moutbouk on the top and garnish with roasted almonds, pumkin and sunflower seeds. And sprinkle some of the Baharat powder on top.

To make Baharat spice

Mix 1/2 tsp each

Cinnamon powder
Cumin powder
Corriander powder
Clove powder
Nutmeg powder
Black pepper powder
Ginger powder..

Achari Brinjal Moju

main meal

Achari Brinjal Moju
Brinjal lovers will love this dish which has its roots in Sri Lanka, and is a staple in most Sri lankan homes and restaurants. This is basically a fried brinjal pickle, which is served at meals normally with rice, but I prefer having it with a chappati.(flatbread). This dish comes together in no time . The crunch of deepfried brinjal and shallots, subtle tangyness of vinegar and mustard and sweetness of sugar give this simple dish a balance which is amazing. There are many twists to this recipe, each one having its own charm. In my recipe today, I have added dijon mustard to enhance the tartness and sweet mango pickle instead of sugar. You can add honey or sugar instead. Tweak the recipe at your will.
This purple coloured vegetable called eggplant or aubergine is popular in many cuisines world wide. Be it the bhaigan ka bharta in north India, where the brinjals are flame roasted, mashed and cooked in an onion tomato gravy. Or the Greek Mousakka, where aubergine, minced meat sauce and potatoes come together to form a hearty casserole. As for me, my childhood memories of eating Brinjal are not very great😊the only way I really liked it was fried and sprinkled with dry spices. Mom would cut the brinjals into round pieces, give small cuts on the surface, and soak them in salted water for a while. Then squeeze the water out and deep fry till crisp. This was normally served with khichdi or pulav. It was much later that I developed a taste for brinjal cooked as a sabzi. And today its one of my favourite vegetable.😊 The aroma of brinjal being fried in the kitchen always draws me in to grab a few pcs of fried brinjal ..top on my list😊

Do try this simple and tasty recipe.

Ingredients
250 gms purple brinjal
2 tbsps flour
2 tbsps cornflour
10 shallots
2 green chillies and 2 red chillies ( cut slantingly)
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsps chopped garlic
1 tbsps finely chopped ginger
1/2 tbsp freshly powdered mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsps black pepper powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp vinegar
2 tbsp homemade sweet mango chutney or achaar (pickle) or honey or powdered sugar. I have used my homemade sweet mango achaar.
2 tbsps fried onions
2 tbsps coconut oil
Some chopped corriander leaves.
Salt to taste

Method..
1..Cut brinjals into finger stick size.
Soak in salted water for an hour, squeeze dry, roll in a mixture of flour and cornflour. Deep fry till crisp. Keep aside.
Also deep fry the shallots and sliced chillies.

2… Mix mustard seed powder, dijon mustard, vinegar and sweet mango chutney together in a small bowl.

3…Heat 2 tbsps of coconut oil and saute curry leaves, ginger, garlic till fragrant. Shut the fire and add cinnamon, pepper and salt..mix well

4..Add the dijon mustard mix, fried brinjals, fried shallots and chillies.
Stir well and serve garnished with chopped corriander and fried onions.

** can be eaten at room temperature.
***best made at time of serving and consumed immediately.