Katrikai Rasavangi ~ Vegan Eggplant Lentil Curry

Tweet

Its been a while since I posted in this space.  Ever since I opened my online jewelry store I have been super busy with setting it up and even though I have made some really interesting recipes recently that I want to and hope to post in this space soon, I haven't been able to more than peek at this space these last few weeks. I guess I have yet to learn to balance both my passions. But I am hoping to hit my stride soon and work out a way to post here frequently too.

Moving on to the post, katrikai rasavangi is a dish from Tamilnadu made with eggplants, lentils and a spice mixture made with roasted lentils and coconut. The best way I can describe this to those of you who have never tasted or tried this before is that it is somewhat similar to sambar. It is served over a bed of plain steamed rice with a stir fry kind of curry on the side. This rasavangi was something I used to make fairly frequently in the past, but in the recent couple of years I have hardly made it, not sure why, since I love it so much. Anyway recently when I made it again, I was reminded of how awesome this rasavangi tastes and since then it has become a regular in my kitchen again :)

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Katrikai Rasavangi

1/2 cup split pigeon peas (tur dhal / Tuvaram parappu)

Small gooseberry sized tamarind (Imli/ Puli)

6 to 7 small Indian eggplants cut into 1/2 inch pieces (baingan/ katrikai)

Salt to taste (namak/ uppu)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/ manjal podi)

Roast in 1 tsp oil (tel/ ennai)

1 tsp Split black gram lentil (Udad dhal/ ulatham parappu)

2 and 1/2 tsp coriander seeds (dhania/ kothamalli virai)

a pinch of asafoetida (hing/ perungayam)

4 dry red chilies (sukhi lal mirch / molagai vathal) (or to taste)

Seasoning
1 tsp coconut oil (or any other oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai/ kadagu)
10 to 12 curry leaves broken into small pieces (kadipatha/ karvapillai)

Grind with 1/2 cup fresh/ frozen grated coconut (nariyal/ thengai) (if using frozen, thaw to room temperature)

Place pigeon peas/ tur dhal in a medium sized bowl, fill with water, swirl with hand and strain water. Fill with fresh water enough to submerge the lentils and soak for at least 30 minutes. Pressure cook the lentils until soft, this usually takes 3 to 4 whistles in my pressure cooker. Alternatively you can cook the lentils on the stove top or in the microwave until soft and mushy. When the pressure subsides, open pressure cooker, mash the lentils gently and keep aside.

In a small bowl, soak tamarind/ imli in sufficient water for at least 15 to 30 minutes.Press the tamarind/ imli with fingers and extract juice. Strain and collect tamarind juice in another bowl and fill the first bowl with tamarind with some more water and extract juice again. Strain and discard the tamarind pulp and seeds.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small pan on medium to medium low heat, add split black gram/ udad dhal to it and stir until the lentils begin to redden, then add coriander seeds/ dhania, pinch of asafoetida/ hing and dry red chilies and stir a few times. Remove from heat and grind this entire mixture along with grated coconut and very little water until it turns into a smooth paste. If you are using frozen and thawed to room temperature coconut, use a little warm water when grinding this paste. Keep the paste aside.

In a medium sized heavy bottom pan, add tamarind juice, salt to taste, turmeric powder and place on medium heat. Add cut pieces of eggplant/ baingan to it and allow this mixture to simmer until the eggplant becomes soft and tamarind loses its raw smell.

Once the eggplant is soft add cooked dhal and the ground paste to it and mix well. Add water if required to achieve a sambar like consistency, simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to mingle. In a small pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds to it when the seeds begin to splutter, add curry leaves/ kadipatha, stay a little away from the pan as curry leaves sometimes causes oil to splutter a little, pour the entire seasoning on the rasavangi. Remove from heat.

Serve rasavangi hot on a bed of plain steamed rice and a curry on the side or chips/ papad/ appalam on the side. Rasavangi also tastes good with chapathis/ phulkas/ Indian flat bread.

 If you are looking for recipes with eggplant/  baingan, here are a few more

Baingan Bharta ~ Vegan Roasted Eggplant Curry

Baingan ki sabzi ~ Eggplant in coconut milk gravy

Methi Baingan  ~ Eggplant with fenugreek curry

Baingan Simla mirch sabzi ~ Eggplant bell pepper curry

Read more ...

Aloo Baingan Sabzi ~ Vegan Eggplant and Potato Curry

Tweet

Every time I travel, I find that  food choices at airports or rather the lack of choices quite frustrating.  I mean yes,  I do find the occasional salad at some restaurant, but for most part the choices are either unhealthy or unappetizing or both :-(  As a result, I find that by the time I reach my destination, especially when I take long haul flights, I start to crave simple comfort foods. Some phulkas/ Indian flat bread and a simple curry or some khichdi and some kadhi feels just blissful after all the unhealthy choices we encountered in our journey. 

Curries such as this aloo baingan are perfect not only for such days but also for weeknights or pretty much anytime you are looking for an easy, healthy and quick side dish for phulkas or even some plain steamed rice and dhal. It is easy enough for anyone to make, even newbies to the kitchen and it is consistently satisfying and delicious :)  

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make aloo baingan

1 large eggplant cut into 3/4 inch cubes ( baingan / katrikai )

1 large potato  peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes ( aloo/ urilakizhangu) ( or 3 medium potatoes )

1 large onion peeled and cut fine (pyaaz / vengayam )

2 medium tomatoes cut fine ( yielded 1 cup of cut pieces) ( tamatar / thakkali)

1 and 1/2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera / jeeragam)

1 tsp ginger garlic paste ( adrak lehsun) 

1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/ manjal podi)

3/4 tsp red chili powder ( or to taste) ( lal mirch/ molagai podi)

1 tsp coriander powder ( dhania powder)

Salt to taste ( namak/ uppu)

Garnish

2 to 3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro ( coriander leaves/ hara dhania/ kothamalli)

Prep all the vegetables and keep aside. Place cubed potatoes and eggplant in a bowl of cool/ room temperature water so that it does not discolor. 

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan on medium heat, add cumin seeds/ jeera to it, when the seeds sizzle add onions and sauté until the onions turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and stir a few times.

Add tomatoes and stir until it softens. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and stir a few times. Add drained potatoes and eggplant, salt to taste and mix well. Cover with a lid and on low heat cook the vegetables. You don't need to add any water as the veggies cook in the steam.

When the veggies are cooked until soft yet retain their shape, remove from heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro/ coriander leaves.

  Serve hot with phulka / rotis / Indian flat bread or even as a side dish with plain steamed rice and dhal. 

 If you are looking for recipes with baingan/ eggplant, here are a few more

Baingan Bharta ~ Vegan Roasted Eggplant Curry

Baingan ki sabzi ~ Eggplant in coconut milk gravy

Methi Baingan  ~ Eggplant with fenugreek curry

Baingan Simla mirch sabzi ~ Eggplant bell pepper curry

Read more ...

Baingan Cheese Toast ~ Roasted Eggplant Spread ~ Eggplant cheese toast

Tweet

These days when I have to go pick up groceries, I make it really quick. I know what I want, make a list and pretty much stick to it when I am in the store, I try my best to be done in less than 30 minutes. I rarely linger around checking out things that are not on my list. That changes when R decides to tag along with me to go pick up groceries. He tends to linger and check out some of the aisles in a little more detail.

On one such trip a few months back, he showed me a savory spread , you know the kind that you can apply on bread. I took one look at the ingredients on the back of the container and placed it right back on the shelf.  But seeing the spread got me thinking about the kind of spreads we could make ourselves that would taste good.

Since I like eggplant, I thought something similar to baingan bharta would probably taste good. Once the idea entered my head, I could not shake it off. That same week I made a spread somewhat on the same lines as the baingan bharta, spread it on bread, topped it with cheese and baked it until done. The results........ yummy :)  Since then I have made this spread numerous times and we have enjoyed it every single time :) This toast works well for breakfast, as an anytime snack or even as a side for soup.

Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Baingan Cheese Toast

1 large eggplant / baingan / katrikai 

1/2 onion cut fine ( pyaaz/ vengayam)

1 Tbsp oil + a few drops more  to apply on eggplant 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds ( jeera/ jeeragam)

3 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine or to taste ( hari mirch )

1 tsp ginger garlic paste ( adrak- lehsun)

Salt to taste (namak)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder ( haldi) (optional)
2 to 3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro / coriander leaves/ hara dhania

To assemble the toast

5 to 6 slices of bread ( I usually use wheat or multigrain, but any kind would work)

Grated cheese of choice as required ( use vegan cheese for a vegan version ) (see notes)

A little butter/ clarified butter/ ghee/ nei/ oil to apply on bread ( use oil for vegan version)

Pre heat oven @ 350 deg F.  Line a tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil and keep aside. Apply oil on the skin of the eggplant and place on pre lined tray and place in oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the eggplant is cooked. To know if eggplant is done, press gently with a wooden spatula or a spoon, if the eggplant is soft, it's done. The baking time will depend on the size and width of the eggplant. 

Remove from oven, allow to cool a little. Peel skin , mash eggplant and keep aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds/ jeera to it. When the seeds sizzle, add green chilies and stir a couple of times.

Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and stir a few times.

Add mashed eggplant, turmeric powder if using, salt to taste and mix well. Allow the mixture to heat through for the flavors to mingle. Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro / hara dhania and mix well.

When ready to make the toast, pre heat oven @ 400 deg F.  Pre line a tray with aluminum foil/ parchment paper and keep aside.

Apply a little butter/ oil/ clarified butter / ghee on one side of the bread. Flip over and spread about 2 to 3 Tbsp of eggplant  mixture evenly on the bread. Place bread with the eggplant mixture side facing upwards on the tray. Proceed with the rest of the mixture in the same way. Sprinkle a little cheese on top of the eggplant mixture and place in oven and bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve hot with some ketchup, on its own or as a side for some soup. 

Makes for a nice weekend breakfast or as an anytime snack.

Notes:

This recipe can easily be doubled if required . This spread can be made ahead,if needed. Just cool thoroughly, place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator a day or two. 

With this quantity I got enough spread for about 6 standard slices of bread, if your slices are wider/ bigger or smaller that could change.

If you are avoiding cheese, or want to make a low calorie version, you can skip the cheese too, just apply the spread and toast till the lower side of the bread turns evenly golden and enjoy :)

If you are looking for Bread snacks/ toasts/ breakfast recipes, here for a few more

Bread Besan Toast~Savory French toast

Corn Cheese toast

Chilli Cheese Toast

Read more ...

Methi Baingan (Eggplant with fenugreek leaves curry) with stepwise pictures

Tweet

Eggplants have been one of my favorite vegetables.  This vegetable is so very versatile and can be prepared in so many ways that it is easy to favor this vegetable. Especially in every day cooking when we are looking for something that is quick and easy to make and yet is flavorful and works well with both steamed rice or with Indian flat bread. 

This methi baingan fits the bill in all respects, its really quick, simple and flavorful and tastes awesome with both rice or roti. I've seen a lot of versions of this curry with fresh methi leaves, but I prefer making this with dry methi leaves mainly because it is way faster and can be made year round without worrying about the availability of fresh methi leaves. The methi adds a  very different flavor and dimension to the curry that I feel elevates the the curry to a completely level different level.



Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Methi Baingan
2 large eggplants (baingan/brinjal/aubergine) cut into 2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide matchsticks
1 large onion cut fine
4 medium sized tomatoes cut fine

1/4 cup kasuri Methi ( dried fenugreek leaves) soaked in warm water

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Thai or Indian variety green chilies cut fine (or to taste)
1 thin sliver ginger minced
3/4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp chili powder ( or to taste)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/ manual podi)
1/2 tsp Garam masala ( or to taste) (can be substituted with any other curry powder)
To  make your own Garam masala check out this post.
Salt to taste

Soak kasuri Methi in warm water for at least 15 minutes.

Prep the vegetables and keep aside. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan, add cumin seeds. When the seeds sizzle add green chillies and stir a couple of times.  Add onion and sauté until onions are transparent.

 
Add minced ginger and stir a few times. Add tomatoes, all the spices , a pinch of salt and stir until tomatoes are cooked and tender.

The copyright of this content belongs to Veginspirations.com

Drain soaked kasuri Methi and add to the tomatoes, stir a few times. It's okay if some of the water that the kasuri Methi was soaked in gets added to the tomatoes too, just stir until the water is evaporated.

Add eggplant, salt to taste and cook the eggplant until it is soft. Make sure to stir frequently to ensure the eggplants cook evenly. When the vegetable is cooked and soft, remove from heat.

Serve hot with any kind of Indian flat bread, or with some rice and dhal or rice and kadhi.

Read more ...

Baingan Bharta ~ Vegan Roasted Eggplant Curry

Tweet

If there ever would be a contest for my most favorite curry among the many variations of eggplant curries that I usually make or have tasted when I eat out, baingan bharta  would easily win hands down.  Baingan bharta for those of you unfamiliar with Indian cuisine, is a term that refers to roasted eggplant curry. This simple name does not do justice to this humble yet hearty and delicious curry.

Traditionally this curry is made by roasting eggplant over an open flame, when the skin is charred and the eggplant is cooked and soft, the skin is removed and discarded, the insides are mashed and used in the curry. This process lends the eggplant a smoky taste and texture. Alternatively eggplant can be baked in the oven until done and it can be similarly used in the curry. I prefer the latter method mainly because R and I are not too big on smoky flavors and baking the eggplant brings out the flavor of the eggplant beautifully, enhancing the taste of this curry.

One of the nicest things about this curry beyond the fact that it is delicious is that it does not take very long to make, and requires just minimum spices. Nothing exotic or elaborate about this curry, although you would not know that from the taste :)  So go ahead and give this a try and tell me what you think about it :)



Click here for the printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Baingan Bharta
2 large eggplants (baingan/ kathrikai)
1 very large onion or 2 medium onions cut fine preferably red onions (yielded 2 cups of cut pieces of onion) (pyaaz/vengayam)
4 medium sized tomatoes cut fine  (yielded 2 cups of cut pieces of tomato)(tamatar/thakkali)
3 Thai or Indian variety green chilies (or to taste) (hara mirch/ pachai molagai)
a thin sliver of ginger minced = 1/2 tsp minced ginger (adrak/inji)
2 tbsp oil + a little extra to apply on the eggplant
3/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera/ jeeragam)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/ manjal podi)
1/2 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
salt to taste (namak/uppu)
1/2 tsp garam masala (or to taste) (to know how to make your own garam masala click here)
handful of cilantro (coriander leaves/ hara dhania/ kothamalli) cut fine for garnish

Pre heat oven to 350 deg F (approx 180 deg C). Line a tray with foil. Wash and wipe dry eggplants. Apply a little oil evenly around the skin of the eggplant. Place on tray and bake until done. It takes anywhere between 40 to 60 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the eggplant. You know when the eggplant is done if when pressed with a spatula it feels soft. Remove from the oven, cool a little and peel the skin. Place the peeled eggplant in the a large bowl and mash thoroughly.

In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat oil. Add cumin seeds to it, when the seeds begin to sizzle add onions and saute until the onions turn pinkish. Do not allow the onions to brown, once onions are pinkish and soft add green chilies and minced ginger and stir a few times.
The copyright of this content belongs to Veginspirations.com

Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and stir a few times. Add mashed eggplant, salt to taste, garam masala and mix well. Allow this mixture to heat for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with any kind of  naan/ kulcha/ roti/chapathi/ phulkas (Indian flat bread) or even with some jeera rice (cumin flavored rice) and some dhal on the side for an Indian themed meal or if you are not in the mood to fuss you can even just serve this with some multi grain bread for a quick and easy meal. 

Read more ...

Thai Eggplant Curry

Tweet

If you workout regularly then you know that sometimes it can get a little more intense than planned, resulting in aching muscles. At least that's how it turns out for me sometimes, I decide to workout a little more than usual and my muscles protest the next day. I usually ignore it and make sure not to push too much the next few times I workout. I have never thought of using or including particular foods in my diet as a way to soothe sore muscles, frankly I was quite surprised to learn that there are some foods that can actually help in soothing sore muscles.

Curious about which foods help? According to an article I came across recently, the foods that are supposed to help are blueberry, tart cherries, pomegranates and ginger. Blueberries, cherries and pomegranates contain a lot of antioxidants that may help in warding off muscle fatigue. In case of ginger, it contains a lot of inflammation fighting compounds such as gingerols that may soothe sore muscles. Cool, huh? I am going to keep this in mind for the next time I have sore muscles from too much workout :-)

Moving on to the Thai eggplant curry.....it was just something I came up with for a quick dinner one day. I used a combination of some Indian eggplants and bell pepper along with red curry paste and served it up on a bed of plain steamed rice. The picture was taken in a hurry and doesn't do this curry any justice, but trust me the curry was way more delicious than it looks in the picture :-) I also loved how quick it was to put this curry together, the entire dinner got ready in something like just thirty or so minutes . So if you are looking for a quick curry and you like eggplant, maybe this curry is something you would enjoy :-)



Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Thai Eggplant Curry
1 large red onion cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 large green bell pepper (capsicum/ koda molagai) deseeded and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
12 to 13 medium sized Indian eggplants cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tbsp oil (preferably coconut oil)
1 inch piece of ginger minced
4 tsp red curry paste (or to taste)
salt to taste
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional) (or to taste)
1/2 cup coconut milk (or to taste)
handful cilantro cut fine (for garnish)
water as needed

Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan, add onions and on medium heat saute the onions until they are transparent.

Add minced ginger and stir a few times. Then add green bell pepper, eggplant, salt to taste, soy sauce, chili powder (if using) , red curry paste and water as required to cook the vegetables until soft.
The copyright of this content belongs to Veginspirations.com

When the vegetables are cooked, add coconut milk. Simmer for another couple of minutes until the flavors mingle.

Finally garnish with cilantro and serve hot with plain steamed rice.

Read more ...

Oven Roasted Eggplant in coconut milk gravy curry ~ Baingan ki subzi ~ Kathrikai kozhambu

Tweet

Been a while since I posted any curries in this space. Not because I haven't been making curries, but because most of the curries that I made recently were already posted in this space earlier or were regular simple curries. The one exception was this roasted eggplant curry that I made a few months back for the first time. As soon as I tasted it, I knew that I would be making this curry again and again and that it would definitely find its way into this space. :-)

My mother in law watches a cookery show on television regularly and when she was here she used to put it on,  and some days I would join her in watching the program.I have to admit I am not one of those people that can sit patiently while watching tv, I get too restless. But this program was fun,  only because most of the times my mother in law and I would be talking about all the experiments we have tried in our kitchens and only glance occasionally at the tv when something looked interesting :-)  One such interesting idea that I got from the show was the idea of making a gravy combining tamarind and coconut milk for a curry, the lady used this gravy for a fish curry.

I decided to make a vegetarian version with eggplant. The first time I made this curry I used pearl onions and tamarind in the curry and loved it. Subsequently I changed things up a bit and made this curry with regular onions, used ketchup instead of tamarind and loved it even more. The slight sweetness that ketchup brings to this curry adds a very interesting and delicious dimension to this curry. And I must mention that using ketchup instead of tamarind means that the curry gets ready even faster than the tamarind version.  So this has become my new favorite eggplant curry these days, give it a try and see if it becomes your favorite too :-)

 


Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Eggplant with coconut gravy curry
1 large eggplant cut into 1/4 inch width and 2 inch length matchsticks (or 10 medium sized Indian eggplants cut into wedges) (Baingan/katrikai)
1 large red onion cut very fine (pyaaz/vengayam)
3 medium tomatoes cut fine (tamatar/ thakkali)
1 tsp chopped ginger (adrak/inji)
2 tbsp + 1 tbsp coconut oil (or any other oil)
1/4 cup plain ketchup (see notes)
salt to taste (namak/ uppu)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi/manjal podi)
1/2 tsp red chili powder (or to taste) (lal mirch/ molagai podi)
1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut milk (according to  taste) (nariyal ka doodh/thengai paal)
 
Optional garnish
7 to 8 curry leaves broken into small pieces

Pre heat oven to 425 deg F.

Line a tray or two (I needed two trays) with foil and keep aside. Spread the cut eggplant on the trays in a manner that it is not overlapping. Brush on a little oil on the vegetable and place in the oven.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until it turns a little golden,  turning once in between to ensure even baking. Remove from oven when done and keep aside.
In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil on medium low heat. Add onions and saute until it turns transparent. Add minced ginger and stir a few times. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and stir a few times. Add ketchup and 3/4 cup water, mix well and allow to simmer for a few seconds.

Add roasted eggplant , salt to taste and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
The copyright of this content belongs to Veginspirations.com

Finally add coconut milk anywhere between 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on your choice and taste. Add water if required to achieve desired consistency.  I used 1/2 cup coconut milk and little bit of water. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat, garnish with curry leaves if using and serve on a bed of plain steamed rice.

This curry can also be served with Rotis/ phulkas (Indian flatbread)

Notes:
This curry can also be made with tamarind as I mentioned earlier. If you want to skip the ketchup and use tamarind instead, then soak 3 to 4 small thumb sized pieces of tamarind in sufficient water for 15 to 20 mins. Extract juice from the tamarind by pressing it and removing its juice. Fill with water again and do this a couple of times till all the juice from the tamarind has been extracted. Discard pulp and seeds. I got approx 1 1/2 cups of tamarind juice. Pour this water after the tomatoes are cooked and softened and allow to simmer for a few minutes until the raw smell from the tamarind disappears. Then add roasted eggplant and proceed with the rest of the recipe as above.

Read more ...

Eggplant with Bell Pepper Curry ~ Baingan Simla Mirch Sabzi

Tweet

Did you know that bell peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C & A, vitamin B6 and folic acid. The fiber found in bell peppers is also said to reduce the risk for certain types of cancer. Cool huh?  It doesn't hurt that bell peppers also taste great and can be used in virtually everything from salads, pizza toppings to curries making them as versatile as they are healthy.

In curries, I usually tend to use bell peppers in combination with other vegetables. It adds a certain flavor and taste to the curry that I like. In this case, I used it in combination with eggplants and in my book, this is a winning combination. This simple and quick curry is perfect with either phulkas or rotis but you could just as easily use it as a side dish to go with rice and dhal too.




Click here for a printable view of this recipe

Ingredients and Method to make Eggplant Bell pepper curry
12 small Indian eggplants cut lengthwise Or 1 medium large eggplant  (baingan/ katrikai)
1 green bell pepper (capsicum/ simla mirch/kodamolagai) cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion (pyaaz/vengayam) cut fine
2 medium tomatoes (tamatar/ thakkali) cut fine ( I used roma tomatoes)

2 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 Thai or Indian green chilies (cut fine) (or to taste)
1 inch piece of ginger (adrak/inji) minced
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala (can be substituted with any other curry powder) 
salt to taste

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, when the seeds begin to crackle, add green chili stir a few times. Then add onion and saute until it is transparent.Add minced ginger, turmeric powder and garam masala and stir for a few seconds.

Add tomatoes and stir and allow to cook until soft and mushy.
The copyright of this content belongs to Veginspirations.com

Add bell pepper , eggplant, salt to taste and mix well. Put a lid on the pan and allow the bell pepper and eggplant to cook on a low to medium low heat.

When cooked, remove from heat and serve hot with rotis of choice. I served these with tomato multigrain rotis.
Serves approximately 2 to 3

Read more ...