Meditterrean Grilled Aubergine with Cottage cheese filling

About the food:

This is a Spanish style grilled aubergine with cottage cheese (paneer) and peas filling. I saw a Spanish recipe of grilled aubergine in a TV show sometime back: this dish is an impoverished version of that. The method of cooking is the same, only the filling has been modified upon. It is an easy to make dish, makes an delightful presentation, and could be served as a starter, or in a cocktail party.The filling is to be scooped out with a spoon and eaten just like that: taste it, and it is delicious!

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 medium sized aubergine.
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
1/2 inch root ginger, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium sized capsicum (bell pepper) finely chopped
200 gm cottage cheese (paneer) finely grated or handcrushed
2/3 green chillies, de-seeded and chopped
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely grated cheese
1 cup green peas, boiled lightly and hand crushed
black pepper powder to taste
salt to taste
olive oil / vegetable oil

Method:

1. Cut off the steam of the aubergines. Cut the aubergines longitudinally in halves, so that each has a boat shape. Make incisions through the aubergine flesh, with a knife, both longitudinal and horizontal, as many as you can, taking care not to pierce the skin. Retention of the skin is very important as the dish would be served in it. Sprinkle salt and little bit of sugar on the aubergines and set it aside.

2.After 30 mins., drain the water off the aubergines, which has come out, and brush them generously with oil. Pre-heat oven for 15 mins. Set them on a lightly oiled baking tray, and grill them at 180 deg C, for about 15mins. Check from time to time, as the time might vary. Brush them with oil again once in between. The aubergines would be soft, a little charred and golden in colour when done. Scoop out the flesh of the aubergines when it has cooled down. Retain the skins as best as you can.

5. Add oil in the pan. Put the aubergine flesh and stir fry for about 5-8mins. Sprinkle some salt to taste. Take it out in bowl and keep it aside.

6.Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic and the ginger and saute a little. Add the tomatoes, followed by onions, spring onions, capsicum, mashed peas and green chillies. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Continue cooking on a low flame for about 10 mins or until the oil separates out. Add the cottage cheese and cook for a further 5 mins. The cottage cheese should turn a little golden in colour.The filling is done.

7. Now arrange the aubergine skins in a baking tray. Fill them up generously with the filling, and top it with grated cheese.

8. Grill them at 180 deg C for about 5-6 mins, or until the cheese melts and turns slightly golden.

9. Take the tray out, and garnish them with coriander leaves. The dish is now ready to serve.

Aubergine Shahi Masala

About the food:

This is an extremely easy to cook dish and always had been my favourite. I learnt this recipe from my auntie,for which I am grateful to her, and ever since I made this, it had always been a big hit among my friends and all. To be honest, this is the only dish which has never let me down. And this is very easy to prepare, you need not to be a cook to prepare this: try this out, I can promise you, you would like it! I would love to hear from you, wish you all the best!


Ingredients (serves 4)

2 medium aubergines
2 cup onion paste (add two green chillies to the onion paste, if you want to)
2 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
vegetable oil for deep frying
4/5 green chillies, chopped
a bunch of fresh green coriander leaves, chopped
1 cup tomato puree
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp whole cumin, dry roasted
250 ml plain yogurt
1/3 cup water
1 pinch of turmeric powder
salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut the Aubergines in 1 inch wide circles.wash and put it in a bowl, sprinkle it with salt and 1 tbsp sugar and a pinch of turmeric. Cover and keep it aside for half an hour.

Special tip: if the aubergines are kept as above, they release water from inside, and require much less oil when cooked.

2. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, deep fry the aubergines.Take care not to over-fry them, as they can become charred. But also take care not to under-cook them: they should be crispy and golden brown when they are done.Arrange them in a single layer on a serving tray.

3. Heat pan. Pour 4 tbsp oil, and let it smoulder. Put the onion paste and fry it for 5 mins. Add the garlic and ginger paste. Continue frying on medium flame by tossing and turning them, until the oil separates. This stage might be a little long, but carry on patiently.

4. After the oil has separated out, pour in the tomato puree. continue frying for some more time, until the oil separates again. Add salt to taste.

4. Pour in this gravy on the single layer of the fried aubergines on the serving dish.

5. Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl and add the water.mix it well. Add a pinch of salt, cumin and coriander powder, roasted cumin seeds, and mix again.

6. Pour this yogurt on top of the gravy covering aubergines on the serving dish.

7.Garnish with chopped coriande, dry roasted cumin and green chillies (optional) and serve.


Accompaniment: Best served with Paratha/Naan.

Begun Takti ( Fried aubergine in mustard sauce)

About the food:

This is a traditional Bengali dish, served with rice at the beginning of the meal. The mustard sauce gives the typical strong flavour, which smells like heaven. The flavour is accentuated if you use mustard oil for cooking. But take care friends, this dish might be too hot for the meek hearted. My advice, if you are cooking for guests, try it out earlier, you would not like your guests crying over their food.You might reduce the amount of the black mustard to reduce the strength of the sauce.

Bori, which is used in this dish, adds a crunchy flavour. It is a traditional Bengali delicacy, prepared from lentil pastes mixed with spices, and then moulding them by hand in small shapes and drying them in the Sun.

There are a variety of them, made from different mixtures of the lentils. Nowadays you can get readymade bori at the markets. But I remember my childhood days, when my grandma and aunties, and even my mom (!) homemade them and spread them on long cotton cloths, and dried them in the Sun. My cousins and myself were given the coveted job of guarding them against the crows and sparrows! But I can tell you, the market packed boris can never compete with the homemade ones, the memory of its taste and smell has made me nostalgic already!

Go ahead, and I am sure, you would love this dish!


Ingredients (serves 4)

3 big aubergines
100 gm small bori
vegetable oil for deep frying/Best with mustard oil.
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp black mustard seed
4 tbsp white mustard seed
2 tbsp poppy seed
4 whole green chilli, split through the centre
1/2 tbsp Indian five spices (Panch phoron)
1 pinch of turmeric
salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut the Aubergines longitudinally in long thin 2 inches slices. wash and put it in a bowl, sprinkle it with salt and 1 tbsp sugar and a pinch of turmeric. Cover at keep it aside for an hour.

Special tip: if the aubergines are kept as above, they release water from inside, and require much less oil when cooked.

2. Heat pan. Pour the oil, and when it smoulders, deep fry the bori until they are golden in colour. Drain them on a kitchen tissue, and put it aside.

3. Mix the mustard and poppy seeds, and grind them in a mixer. You can either dry grind them and then add half a cup of water; or you can wet grind them to form a thick paste.

4. Deep fry the aubergines. Take care not to over-fry them, as they can become charred. But also take care not to under-cook them: they should be crispy and golden brown when they are done.Drain them on a dish lined with a kitchen tissue.

4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the five spices and let them crackle.Add the green chillies, and fry a little. Pour the seed paste, and saute for 2 mins on low flame. Add salt, turmeric powder, and 1 tbsp sugar. Add 1/2 cup water to make a thick gravy. Put all the fried aubergines in the gravy and mix it well.

5. Pour it on the serving dish and garnish with the fried bori and serve.

Accompaniment: Best served with basmati rice.
Posted by Sharmis