Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce: What is Your Current Obsession?

Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce

Regular readers of my blog will know how obsessed I can get over few things. Ever since I moved to this country, weather has been one of the biggest obsessions of my life. Surprisingly, I am not going to talk about weather today (there is no point in nagging and repeating same things, is it?). But I am going rant on my other obsession in my life! Yeah, you guessed it right. Let’s talk about food! (What you had in mind?;)

I easily get obsessed with one food item at time. If I am start liking one vegetable at one point, then I continue to cook and experiment with same vegetable till I really get tired of it! If one day I chop and cook them, next time you will find the grated form of that veggie. At one time I may stuff that vegetable with aromatic spices and other time I may use it as a stuffing for some other vegetable. Sounds little crazy? Thankfully my ‘much’ better half is not a fussy eater and he doesn’t mind eating them as long as it tastes good!

Like vegetables or fruits, these days I am obsessed with ingredients and right now I am experimenting and dissecting Peanuts! Yes, good old peanuts. After using it in Capsicum Masala Rice and Rhengan Reveya, I seem to have fallen head over heels in love with Peanuts! And why not? They are good as they and get better when they are roasted! But trust me when I say they taste best when they are used as powder form in cooking! This simple looking guy transforms every dish into nutty and flavourful affair! And to prove that again I am presenting you Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce.

Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce

This Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce may look very imposing and complex dish! But trust me my friends, it is one of the easiest recipe that you can cook to impress your family and friends. I have used simple mashed potato spiced with aromatic spice powders as a filling for bell peppers. And the Peanut Sauce that we have here can be cooked by even the novice cook! Don’t shy away looking at the long ingredient list. If you look through them carefully, you will realise that the most of the ingredients used are easily and readily available. So what are you waiting for? Why not try this delicious spicy potato stuffed bell peppers served in delicious, nutty and creamy gravy of peanuts and see how your loved ones lick their plate clean? :) Well, now that you know about my current obsession, how about telling me yours? I am sending this delicious Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce to dear EC's WYF-Side Dish event.

Spicy Potato Stuffed Capsicum before cooking

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Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce (Spiced Potato Stuffed Capsicum in creamy Peanut Sauce)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 25-35 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads or with flavoured/steam cooked Rice

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Ingredients:
For Stuffed Capsicum:
6 medium Bell Peppers/Capsicum
3 large Potatoes, washed, peeled, cooked and mashed well
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder or Juice of ½ Limes
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves (Optional)
1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
½ + 2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

For Peanut Sauce:
1 large Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
½ cup Roasted Peanut, ground to powder
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder or 1 tbsp Lime Juice
½ tbsp Jaggery/Palm Sugar/Sugar
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce

Method:

For Stuffed Capsicum:
Heat ½ tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and hing. Sauté till cumin starts to sizzle and turn golden red. Add finely chopped onion and sauté till it turns translucent, about 2 mins, on medium flame. Add ginger-garlic paste and kasuri methi and sauté till raw smell disappears, about 2 mins.
Mix in mashed potatoes and all spice powder along with salt to taste and mix them well. Switch off the flame and let this potato mixture cool.
Cut top of capsicum, about 1 cm, and scoop out seeds and membrane so that you are left with capsicum cups for stuffing. Stuff each capsicum with potato filling.
Next heat about 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and arrange capsicum in single layer. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium flame. Open the lid and turn the capsicum around so that it is cooked from all the sides. You will see that its skin is wilted and charred marks start to appear when cooked. Over all it will take 15-20 minutes to cook thoroughly on medium flame. Once cooked, keep it on aside on a plate lined with kitchen towel/paper.

For Peanut Gravy:
Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped onions. Sauté it on medium flame for about 2 minutes and then add ginger-garlic paste. Cook for another 2 minutes till raw smell of GG paste disappears.
Next add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder and cook for half a minute. Add about 2 cups of boiling water and bring the whole mixture to gentle boil.
Mix in peanut power along with amchur, jaggery and salt to taste. Keep stirring till the gravy starts to thicken, about 5-7 minutes. If you think the gravy is too thick, add about ½ cup of water.
Switch off the flame and arrange stuffed capsicums. Serve this delicious Stuffed Capsicum in Peanut Sauce, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, with any Indian Flat Breads or flavoured Rice and enjoy!

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Rhengan Reveya: Rural, Rustic Charm!

Rhengan Reveya

Will it be called too much of bragging if I were to say I cook very mean Indian food?
Will it be called blowing your own horn, little too loudly perhaps, if I am to say I cook better than the chefs at well known Indian curry houses?
Will I be kicked out from the restaurant for asking the chefs to change their career because they failed to cook one decent pot of rice?
Err, will I be?

I think I am in trouble! Who am I kidding; I am in deep $h1t!!! It is becoming difficult for me not to compare the food served in Indian restaurants with the ones I make at home. Most the restaurants have standard vegetarian menu of Aloo Gobi, Aloo Palak, Palak Paneer, Paneer Makhani, Channa Masala, Malai Kofta and some lentil dishes. And I cook all these at home with less oil, less fat and more flavour! Over 3 years of testing and experimenting in my small 10X8 feet kitchen, I feel I can give good competition when it comes to making most of the Indian foods served in restaurants. And there are times when I can’t help but compare the food they serve and feel I cook better than that! I am my worst critic and yet I feel this way. You have no idea how miserable I feel when faced with situations like this where I end up twisting my nose and giving lectures as what is missing or what went wrong with that bowl of food!

The problem is food menu in any restaurants is limited few items which anyone can cook better at home provided you have right ingredients and know how to use them. We can’t blame westerners if they think that Indian cuisine begins and ends with ‘Curry’. Think about it! One country, more than forty languages, over 1500 dialects, hundreds of festivals, 28 states and 7 union territories and yet first thing that comes to mind when you talk of Indian food is ‘Curry’! It can’t get more ironic than this, can it?

India is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi ethnic society as you will find that every state with its own traditions, culture, lifestyle, and food is no exception. Then why limit your menu to just handful of things? It’s not like people like only those foods. I am sure they will enjoy tasting different regional cooking that not only tastes wonderful but also healthier. I have seen my western friends relishing simple lemon rice and mango rice with raitas. I have seen that content look on their face when they are served fluffy and soft Idli with coconut chutney. And it didn’t take long for them to fall in love with lightly spiced Kichidi when served with pickle, yogurt and papads. Yes, if given choice and chance I am sure that everyone will enjoy discovering regional cuisines of India.

Among so many curry houses, we have very few favourites who have unique food items listed in their menu. One among them is a small vegetarian Guajarati restaurant that serves authentic regional cuisine to its customers. This restaurant is run by family members of four and mother and daughter in law team is in charge of kitchen. This is the only restaurant that we visit almost every month for their simple yet delicious Gujarati Thai that has selection of one starter, two vegetarian sides with Pulkas, Dal with rice or Kichidi with Kadhi, roasted papad, and dessert (either plain or mango Shrikand). We have been visiting this place since one year yet we are not tired of eating same food! The main reason is it tastes more like home food prepared by someone who really cares for you. Yes, it’s like any food prepared by your mother or grandmother who keep in mind to cook food that not only tastes great but it is lot healthier and good for you. The food served there is simple, rustic and without any frills in a friendly environment with great service. I am really thrilled to find one restaurant that serves exceptional food at reasonable price and leave you feeling satisfied and content!!!

One such lovely food served there is Rhengan Reveya which is a simple and rustic stuffed baby aubergine and potato satay. When asked for the recipe, Kaushi, the mother in charge of kitchen, gave me this rough recipe of this traditional Gujarati dish which involves skilful marinating and stuffing of baby aubergine and potatoes with ground spices and peanuts. After few trial and errors I have successfully managed to create Rhengan Reveya that same tastes very close to what is cooked by dear Kaushi. Kaushi says you need lot of patience when it comes to master the art of creating a truly scrumptious dish of Rhengan Reveya, or any food for that matter, to bring out all the delicate flavours of a traditional satay marinade and follow the delicate cooking procedures involved in creating this magic! I totally agree with her!!! If you are looking for cooking and eating authentic, rustic and delicious Gujarati food then this recipe of Rhengan Reveya is definitely for you. Don’t get daunted by the long list of ingredients as it is really one simple dish that doesn’t take more than 20 minutes of your cooking time. I highly recommend this dish of Baby Aubergine and Potatoes if you love this king of vegetables for its amazing texture and phenomenal taste when cooked right!

Groud Peanuts & Spices for Stuffing

Stuffed Baby Eggplants & Potatoes for Rhengan Reveya

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Rhengan Reveya (Baby Aubergine and Potato Satay, rustic food from Gujarat)
Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Source: Kaushi
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner to Medium
Spice Level: Medium
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads or with flavoured/steam cooked Rice

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Ingredients:
8-10 Baby Purple Eggplants, washed, dried
8-10 Baby Potatoes or 2 medium Potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

For Tadka/Tempering:
½ tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida

For the Stuffing & Marinating:
1/3 cup Roasted Peanuts, ground to fine powder
¾-1 tbsp Roasted Coriander Powder
½-¾ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1-1½ tsp Red Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Aamchur/Dry Mango Powder (Optional)
1-2 tsp Sugar
A big pinch of Hing/Asafoetida (Optional)
1 inch Ginger, peeled and grated
3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Rhengan Reveya

Method:

Grind roasted peanuts to fine powder and transfer it into a mixing bowl. Mix in all dry spice powders one by one. Next add grated ginger, finely chopped coriander leaves, salt to taste and oil and mix them well. You will get a crumbling mixture. Keep it aside till needed.
Make ‘+’ marked slits ¾th way on baby eggplants keeping their stems intact. Stuff the eggplants with prepared mixture. Make sure that you don’t break the eggplants while stuffing. Once you have stuffed all the eggplants with mixture, add chopped potatoes to remaining stuffing and mix well so that potatoes are coated well. Mix eggplants with potatoes and keep them aside to marinate for 5-10 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and hing. When cumin starts to sizzle and turn golden red, mix in stuffed eggplants and potatoes. Add about 1-1½ cups of boiling water and cover the lid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it cook undisturbed for 5 mins.
Open the lid after 5 mins and gentle mix all the vegetables. Add little more water if needed and cover and cook again for 10-15 minutes, mixing in between, till both eggplants and potatoes are cooked though.
Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with steam cooked rice or Roties and enjoy this rustic, delicious Rhengan Reveya.

Rhengan Reveya

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Notes:

For this batch of Rhengan Reveya I went on to prepare freshly roasted and ground coriander and cumin powder and without any doubt they tasted amazing when combined with other ingredients for stuffing. So I would strongly recommend you to prepare fresh batch of coriander and cumin powder if you have enough time and see the whole world of difference it makes when it comes to flavour and aroma. Just lightly dry roast them on low heat for 1-2 minutes to bring out their heady aroma and grind them to fine powder once cooled completely.

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Stuffed Bhindi Masala: My Okra Love Affair

Stuffed Bhindi Masala

Remember me?
It’s great to see you after all these years.
Can we be friends?
Your profile is so cute. I would love to add you as friends.
Are you so-and-so?
Aren’t you so-and-so’s cousin or friend?

Wondering what’s this all about? Well, these are the friendship requests I get on social networking sites. Some are from old friends whom I have almost forgotten and some from total strangers and some simply wanting to increase the number of friends in their profiles and some from lonely guys and girls seeking ‘real fun’ (Duh?!). Having it said, these social networking sites are really cool as I got to meet my long lost (not at your usual Kumbh ka Mela ;) friends all around the world. I always believed I had just few friends until I saw my friends list crossing 3 digits and then hitting close to three centuries. Now who would have thunk I made so many friends over all these years.

Well, meeting all these friends also means travelling back in time and remembering and sometime painfully reminding all those funny and embarrassing moments. Most of my recent friends think me to be a no-nonsense, serious kind of person to walk on this planet. Imagine their shock when they read my primary school friend’s message with bold letter flashing on my scrapbook asking me if I still play pranks on my boss or colleagues as I used to do with my teachers by placing the duster or the most common trick of spilling ink on their chair and snatch my colleagues lunch box as I did to my juniors and classmates. And an enthusiastic scrap left by my close friend about hitting that pimple faced boy with my metal compass box for teasing me for wearing gaudy pink lipstick and matching nail polish in my high school was enough to shake the foundation of my sophisticated image that I had built (but not completely succeeded is another matter all together). And one friend decides to write a long testimonial on how smart I was to mix hair remover solution and face bleach cream with shampoo to teach a unforgettable lesson to our hostel warden for stealing my favourite shampoo and that piece of information was enough to make me turn from serious working girl into a total prankster! My close friends are hell bent on spoiling all my reputation. ~sighs~ I say friends can also be your worst enemies (I can prove it, may be in another post) but they are the kind whom you cherish.

When people compare marriage to chewing gum, I couldn’t help but compare friendship to Okra. I know it sounds weird but I can be weird sometime! ;) You see my theory comes from the fact that Okra can be annoyingly slimy yet it tastes delicious when cooked right. Similarly friends can be annoyingly irritating yet they are the best part of your life. ~clap, clap or slap, slap~ Whoosh… Ok, I made that all up as today we have this lovely Okra or Bhindi recipe. So no need to break your head on the weird comparison of Okra and friendship. Without much delay (!!??) let us go to the recipe bit.

By now the regular reader of my blog would have realised how much I love Bhindi. This time I am posting a recipe of Stuffed Bhindi Masala which I cooked last night without following any recipe in particular. I used the ingredients which I thought would enhance the flavour of Bhindi and pleasantly they did. By the time I finished stuffing and sautéing, one quarter of the stuffed okras were stuffed in our mouths. Since I had already sliced the onions and chopped the tomatoes I had to use them in cooking. May be next time I will just stuff the okras and simply stir fry them or bake them. The stuffing used is roasted peanuts and few spices which gave pleasantly nutty flavour with touch of spiciness to sweet okras. While onions add more crunch and sweet note, tomatoes lends lovely tangy flavour to the dish. Try this recipe when you have time and see how okra can beat any vegetables hands down when cooked right.

Stuffed Bhindi

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Stuffed Bhindi Masala (Okra stuffed with roasted Peanut and Spice powder and cooked with sweet Onions and tangy Tomatoes)

Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 20-25 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
24-30 tender baby Okra/Bhindi (1 and half to 2 inches long) or 18-24 tender Okra, tips removed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large Onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
3-4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Green Chillies, slit (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Lime Juice (Optional)
2 tbsp Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp Oil

For Stuffing/Filling:
¼ cup Roasted Peanuts
1 tbsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tbsp Coriander Seeds
4-5 Dry Red Chillies (adjust acc to taste)
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

Stuffed Bhindi Masala

Method:

Wash okras and spread them on dry kitchen towels to remove excess water or simply pat them dry with kitchen towel.
While the okras are drying, heat a pan and dry roast channa dal, dry red chillies, hing, jeera and coriander seeds till they turn golden red and fragrant. Let them cool completely before you powder them. Add these roasted spices with roasted peanut, turmeric, amchur and salt to taste and grind them to coarse powder.
Now trim the okra ends and carefully make a slit on one side and stuff it with ¼-½ tsp of spice powder. Don’t worry if you are left with excess spice powder as it will be used later.
Heat about tbsp of oil in a pan and sauté stuffed okras on high flame, if required in batches, for about 4-5 minutes till brown spots start to appear and it is half cooked. Place them on paper towel till needed.
Now heat another tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When jeera starts to sizzle and turn light shade of brown, add curry leaves, finely chopped garlic and slit green chillies. Sauté till garlic turns light shade of brown, about one minute.
Add thinly sliced onion and sauté on medium flame till it turns golden brown, about 3 mins. Mix in finely chopped tomatoes and remaining spice powder and cook till tomatoes release it juice and turns pulpy, about 3 minutes.
Now add stuffed okras and sauté for 5-7 mins on medium flame till the okra is cooked through and the flavours blend well.

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Taste Memory: Dhaas Shimla Mirch

Dhaas Shimla Mirch

The smell and taste of things
remain poised in memories
for almost eternity. Why is that?
Or am I alone in memories?

Like the butterscotch pudding
I tried to cook, as a child
I burnt it and even today
when I try to eat anything
with that flavor, it taste burnt.
Will that taste ever go away?
- By Robritt

Sometimes I breathe in the scents of foods, and I remember - places, times, people, adventures. In many cases the taste or smell of a sweet, coffee, gravy or an entire meal is capable of painting a picture with richer, deeper brush strokes than any snapshot in the photo album. While I struggle to remember my mobile phone number or grapple helplessly to recall my closest of friends' names when I need to mail them or introduce them to someone, the merest sniff of brewing coffee is enough to flood back memories of two decades ago, from my Ajji’s kitchen with frightening clarity. Give me that same coffee in a small steel tumbler and I can recall the dark room where I sipped that coffee with my sister hiding under the cot as we kids were forbidden from drinking strong coffee, the colour of bangles on my Amma’s hand when she pulled us out with a half filled coffee glass in my hand and a fake anger on her face:) Such details more glowing than the coffee I had just one hour back!!!

Food has also become a central way for me to socialise with others, to comfort my friends and family and even sometimes few strangers as food sure brings enormous pleasure and joy when shared with others. It has made me feel comfortable in new places, even some unknown places. And most importantly food had made me to remember the places I’ve lived and the people I’ve known in those places.

One such food memory is something I loved when I lived in Bangalore. I lived in a hostel owned by a Sindhi couple and V aunty was a wonderful cook and baker. Her delicious Sindhi style Stuffed Capsicums/Peppers is something I missed dearly after I left Bangalore. It was not usual stuffed capsicum with potato filling or rice but it used grated onions lightly spiced with fresh green chillies and coriander. I had been looking for this Dhaas Shimla Mirch recipe since long time and at last I found it in Alka’s Sindhi Rasoi. One look at the photo and the list of ingredients and I knew I just hit the jackpot. I could hardly contain my excitement and straight away went into kitchen to try it right away. Although V aunty and Alka had used Green Bell Peppers I cooked with Mini/Baby Orange Bell Peppers I bought from Farmer’s Market which I knew would be sweeter than the green ones. With few modifications to Alka’s recipe, this platter of golden beauties was ready in few minutes. Dont be fooled by the short ingredient list and simplicity of these ingredients. The recipe is surprisingly simple and the end result is simply superb. It was bit sweet with a touch of spiciness from green chillies and tanginess from dry mango powder and it was everything I remembered. Thank you Alka. It’s because of your recipe I am finally over with my obsession of finding this recipe and this recipe has become our family favourite. I will be making them soon with multi-coloured Baby Peppers and next time I might bake them and then grill instead of cooking on stove top to make it zero-oil cooking. This is my entry for Kayln's Weekend Herb Blogging event guest hosted by Astrid.

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Dhaas Shimla Mirch (Sindhi style Bell Peppers/Capsicums stuffed with Onion and Ground Spices)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15-20 mins
Serves: 2-3
Recipe Source: Sindhi Rasoi

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Ingredients:
6 Baby/Mini Bell Peppers or 4 medium Bell Peppers (any colour is fine, I used orange coloured)
1 tbsp Oil

For Filling/Stuffing:
2 large Onions, grated (grated onion works best than chopped one)
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala (Optional)
1 tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
½-1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
½ cup or small handful of Coriander Leaves
2-3 Green Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
2-3 cloves of Garlic
½ inch Ginger (Optional)
Salt to taste

Baby Bell Peppers & Ground Filling

Method:

Slit baby peppers on one side and remove its seeds and pith carefully without breaking it. If using large peppers, then slice off their top and remove its seeds and pith carefully.
Grind coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic and ginger roughly without adding any water. Mix this ground paste with grated onion, all spice powders listed and salt to taste.
Stuff this onion mixture into bell peppers carefully. Make sure that you don’t break bell peppers while stuffing by stuffing little filling at time.
Heat oil in a deep pan. Carefully arrange bell peppers in a pan. Cover the lid and cook on a low to medium flame.
Toss the bell peppers at regular intervals to make sure that they don’t burn and stick to the pan. Make sure that the bell peppers are cooked from all the side. On a whole, it took me around 15 minutes to cook these bell peppers on a very low to medium flame.
Serve this delicious Dhaas Shimla Mirch with Chapatti or Rice and enjoy.

Dhaas Shimla Mirch

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Note:

Next time I might sauté the filling for few minutes and then stuff the bell peppers and bake them in an oven for 5 minutes so that the bell peppers remain crunchy. And then grill these baked peppers for about 3 minutes to get smoky taste.

Other Stuffed Vegetables posted so far

• Badane Ennegayi/Stuffed Baby Eggplants
• Stuffed Chillies
• Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups
• Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy
• Stuffed Baingan
• Stuffed Okra/Bhindi

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Reminder (Just 11 more days to go):

MBP-Street Food ends on 24th of June, 2008. Start patrolling the blogs and cook your favourite Street Food that your tummy begs and heart desires and spread link love.

Deadline: 24th June, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

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One of Many: Badane Ennegai

Badane Ennegai

Question: How to make Badane Ennegai?
Person #1: Oh, it’s very simple. You take little bit of fresh coconut, and then…
Person #2: No, you don’t use fresh coconut for Ennegai. You need desiccated coconut and you grind it with …
Person #3: Hey, hey… Aren’t you forgetting something? The authentic recipe calls for roasting the spices and coconut.
Person #4: Yes, roast dry chilli preferably Byadagi Menasu.
Person #5: Oh not Byadagi, you have to use Kolhapuri Menasu. It should taste spicy not bland!!! That’s how we Hubli-Dharwad people like!
Person #6: Cut the stem of the Brinjal and make ‘+’ mark half the way.
Person #7: Hello… You always keep the stem. You don’t take the crown away from this ‘King of Vegetables’.
Person #8: Ennegai is a dry dish.
Person #9: I don’t agree with you. Spicy, aromatic stuffed Brinjals are cooked in creamy gravy.
.
.
.
.
Person #N: …… This is the authentic recipe for Badane Ennegai.

Yes, ask some ‘N’ number of Kannadigas as how to cook Badane Ennegai and you will surely end up with ‘N’ methods of making them. Each and every household has their own ‘authentic’ recipe for cooking this delicious Baby Brinjals. Some stuff them with freshly grated coconut and some with desiccated one. Some roast the spices before pounding them and some grind them with out roasting first. Some make them mild where as some prefer spicy. So it’s not a big surprise if you find different versions of Badane Ennegai at different source. Well, for that matter I have already blogged two different recipes for Badane Ennegai in my blog. So to make it perfect 3, here is another way to cook Badane Ennegai. This recipe is from my Aunt S who is not just a wonderful cook but also has published a wonderful cooking book. I usually refer to this cook book of hers, gifted to me by her on my wedding, when I am unable to clarify some doubts with my Amma or Atte at odd hours. Well, even after two years of cooking on my own there are quite many times I keep calling them if I am not sure of some ingredients. And yes, I still haven’t learnt to write these recipes in my diary. Thanks to this blog, as it is just two or three times a week my Amma or Atte are forced to talk to me at odd hours. Well, it’s a vast improvement from getting some half a dozens of calls every single day ;) May be they’ll not have to worry about getting woken up at 2 in the morning in few years of time!!!

This delicious recipe of Badane Ennegai is a keeper for sure. My aunt stuffs the Baby Brinjals is lightly roasted dry/desiccated coconut with aromatic spices and peanuts for nutty flavour. Addition of onions in stuffing adds little crunch and sweet taste and the tamarind paste gives that oomph factor. Serve it with Dal Rice or Rasam Rice or with Roties. But the best way to eat it is with Jolada Rotti in Dharwad style. This favourite dish of mine goes to my dear friend Pooja for her VOW-Brinjal.

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Badane Ennegai (Stuffed Babay Brinjals)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
8-10 Baby Brinjals
1-2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
1-2 tbsp Oil

For the Stuffing:
1 small Onion, finely chopped
½ cup Desiccated Coconut
2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts
¾ tbsp Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas
½ tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Gram
½ tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
6-8 Dry Red Chillies, halved (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
1-1½ tsp Tamarind Paste/1 big marble sized Tamarind Pulp soaked in warm water
2 tbsp coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Baby Brinjals Stuffed with Ground Paste

Method:
For the Stuffing:
Dry roast desiccated coconut, channa dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, hing and dry red chillies in low flame for 2-3 minutes till you get nice aroma. They should be roasted nicely and turn light brown.
Grind these roasted spices with turmeric powder, tamarind paste/water and salt to taste to smooth paste adding very little water at time.
Mix this ground mixture with finely chopped onion and coriander leaves and keep it aside.

To Assemble:
Clean and wash the baby brinjals and slit them from bottom making a ‘+’ mark till 3/4th. Keep the stem intact. Keep them in a bowl of cold water to stop from discolouring till required.
Take about 1 tbsp of this ground paste and stuff these baby brinjals and keep them aside.
Now heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and curry leaves. When cumin starts to sizzle, arrange the stuffed baby brinjals in a pan. Make sure that the pan is big enough to hold all the brinjals in a single layer.
Sprinkle about a tbsp of water and cover the pan with lid.
Cover and cook these brinjals undisturbed for around 10 minutes on a medium to low flame. Open the lid and slowly turn the brinjals. Add left over ground paste if any and sprinkle another tbsp of water if required. Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Check in between to make sure the ground paste doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle little water in between if required.
Serve this Badane Ennegai garnished with chopped coriander leaves with rice or roties or with Jolada Rotti as it is traditionally served.

Badane Ennegai

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Note:
Choose baby brinjals that are firm to the touch, have a smooth and shiny skin. The stem attached to them should be lively green in colour. The tender purple brinjals are the tastier ones. The ones with black seeds are mature ones and will taste bitter. So make sure that you choose the tender ones and have few extra ones just in case.
Store brinjals in a cool dry place, but avoid placing them near tomatoes and apples as they give off a gas that enhances the ripening process. Use the brinjals within 2 days. Refrigerating them doesn’t necessarily keep them fresh but if necessary, the brinjals may be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for as long as 5 days.
Other Brinjal/Eggplant recipes blogged in Monsoon Spice:

• Ennegai
• Sweet 'n Sour Badane Palya
• Stuffed Baingan

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Reminder!

An Ode to Potato ends on 15th of March (GMT Time). Send in your entry before the deadline and join us in the singing. Bake, boil, mash, fry, sauté, grill, stuff, cook... The choice is endless.

Deadline: 15th March, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry along with the gorgeous Photo of Potato dish.

Click Here to find out more information on this event.

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Stuffed Chillies

Err… Yeah!!! Yet another “Stuffed” recipe from me. I am stuffing my tummy with stuffed stuffs. I can’t understand my recent obsession with stuffing any vegetables on sight. After trying stuffing Baingan, Bhendi, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, I did the ultimate stuffing. {~Applause~} Here comes my Stuffed Chillies. I cross my heart and promise, no more stuffed stuffs for another month;)

Well, looking at my increasing waistline my hubby at last openly asked me to stay away from stuffing my tummy. Alas… Till now I some how managed to act innocent to all subtle hints I was getting from him. Do you have any idea that you foodies are partially responsible for my increasing waistline? First you lure me with nice description, then tempt me with mouth watering pictures and brainwash me with your sweet guidelines as how easy and quick it is to make.

Stuffed Chillies

Well, I am here to take revenge!!! Revenge on every food blogger buddies for making me gain few extra pounds with in a month’s time. My revenge is not sweet. It’s scorchingly hot and sinfully delicious. {~Devilish Grin~} When you try one you will crave for more. The more, the merrier;)

Stuffed Chillies

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Stuffed Chillies
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15-25 mins
Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients:
4-6 Jalapenos or any medium thick skinned Chillies
2 Potatoes
1 cup Gram flour/Besan
1 tbsp Rice Flour
A pinch of Cooking Soda (optional)
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Powder
1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
Salt to Taste
Oil for Deep Frying

Stuffed Chillies

Method:
Slit the chilli along one side using small knife.
Remove the seeds and white part inside the chilli. If you prefer spicy ones then leave the seeds as they are.
Peel the potatoes and chop them into large chunks. Cook them in salted water and mash them thoroughly.
Make small balls of mashed potatoes and stuff them tightly inside the chilli and keep them aside.
Make thick batter of gram flour, rice flour, cooking soda, chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, amchur and salt using enough water. Make sure that there are no lumps left in the batter.
You can mix about a tbsp of hot oil into the batter which will help to reduce the amount of oil absorbed during deep frying.
Dip stuffed chillies in batter and coat all the sides.
Deep fry them in heated oil till they turn crisp and golden brown in colour.
Serve sizzling hot with tomato ketchup or any chutney or dips of your choice.

Stuffed Chillies

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Variations:
You can add garam masala or any other spices like chilli powder, turmeric powder, amchur, jeera powder etc to mashed potatoes for making it spicier.
Add grated cheese or paneer to mashed potatoes for extra richness.
Check for some more delicious stuffed chillies here, here and here.

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Stuffed Chillies

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Did You Know?
Chillis are loaded with vitamin A, a potent antioxidant and boost to the immune system. As the pods mature and darken, high quantities of vitamin C are gradually replaced with beta carotene and the capsaicin levels are at their highest. Due to these capsaicin levels, some believe that eating chillis may have an extra thermic affect, temporarily speeding up the metabolic rate, hence burning off calories at a faster rate. Whatever, you certainly do sweat and actually cool down in hot climates as sweat evaporates. Your nose runs, your head clears ... you can breathe! And with that extra flow of saliva, the gastric juices also flow. The alkaloids from the capsaicin stimulate the action of stomach and intestine improving the whole digestion process!
(Source: www.chillisgalore.co.uk)

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Stuffed Chillies

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Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

One question always pops in mind when I cook Chinese cuisine. What's the difference between Chinese food cooked in India and Chinese food cooked in China? Is it the food, method, ingredients or the seasoning? Well… We know the answer. Surprisingly everything :) I prefer Chinese food cooked in Indian way. Blame it on the taste bud we have. It is almost impossible for me to like bland, almost spice less food. That’s why even when I cook Chinese food at home I call it my Indo-Chinese cuisine. I make lot of changes to suit our palette.

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

I was some what shocked when my Chinese colleague told me there is “No deep frying” in Chinese cuisine. Oh yes, you’ll never find a deep fryer in a real Chinese kitchen. Besides the health factor, deep frying saturates the food with oil, strips it of its individuality. What really goes on in Chinese culinary is stir fried, boiled or steamed. Now I am not a person who follows rules;) No deep frying means no Manchurians which we both love. So I guess I better stick to my Indo-Chinese culinary adventure for some more time and enjoy what it has got to offer:)

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

Here is the recipe for making crispy mushroom cups which is actually stuffed mushrooms with vegetables blended with sweet, spicy and tangy sauces. I got this recipe from Tarla Dalal’s website and made some alterations according to my preference. I made a big mistake of frying them in open kadai which was indeed a big blunder. Because of moist blanched mushrooms and sauces, it was bit difficult to fry as oil started splashing around. The electric fryer, which came to my rescue, is the best one for frying these. So if you don’t have electric fryer, be careful while frying these stuffed mushrooms. You can also make thick coating of corn flour paste which will help to bind these stuffed mushrooms.

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

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Crispy Stuffed Mushrooms
Prep Time: 10-15 mins
Cooking time: 20-30 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
1 pack Mushrooms(Choose Medium Mushrooms)
Oil for deep frying
For Stuffing:
2 cloves Garlic, very finely chopped
2 stalks Spring Onion, very finely chopped
½ Green Pepper, very finely chopped
½ Red Pepper, very finely chopped
1 small Carrot, grated
3-4 French Beans, very finely chopped
¼ cup Cabbage, shredded or grated
1 tbsp Soya Sauce
1 tbsp Chilli Sauce
1 tbsp Tomato Sauce/Ketchup
½ tbsp Rice Vinegar
½ tsp Ajinomoto (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
For Batter:
¼ cup Maida
½ cup Corn Flour
1 tsp Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Bread Crumbs

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

Method:
Place mushrooms in boiling water and leave them there for 2-3 minutes.
Pat dry and remove their stems. Squeeze out excess water and keep them aside.
In a mean while, heat about 1 tbsp of oil in wok and add chopped garlic.
Sauté it for few seconds and then add spring onions, very finely chopped capsicum/peppers, carrot, beans, cabbage and ajinomoto.
Sauté them for 1 minute and add soya sauce, chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, rice vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well and remove from fire to cool.
Stuff this mixture in each mushrooms and pin up two mushrooms with tooth pick so that the filling doesn’t spill out.
Prepare thick batter of corn flour, maida, chilli powder and salt with enough water. Make sure that you get the consistency of thick dosa batter.
Dip each pinned up mushrooms in this batter so that they are coated evenly.
Roll them over bread crumbs and deep fry in electric fryer till they turn golden brown.
Serve immediately with any dipping/sauces of your choice.
These can be served as appetizers or as a side dish with Shezwan Rice/Noodles(Will post the recipe soon) and enjoy.

Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups served with Shezwan Noodles

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Did You Know?
Macao and Woosung, founded by Chinese immigrant Norman Asing in 1849 is the first recorded Chinese restaurant in the U.S.
When KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) first translated its advertising slogan "finger lickin' good" into Chinese, it came out as "eat your fingers off."
MSG has very little flavor of its own, but it 'improves' or enhances the flavor of other foods it is used with.
Some individuals seem to be sensitive to MSG, and exhibit what is known as 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' (because of its use in Asian cooking). The symptoms include headaches, chest pains, facial pressure, burning sensations, and sweating. The FDA continues to list it as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), but all foods containing MSG must state so on the label.
Although it is true that Ancient Chinese warlords would send messages hidden inside cakes, fortune cookies are not Chinese, they were invented in Los Angeles around 1920.
(Source: www.foodreference.com)

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Crispy Stuffed Mushroom Cups

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Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy

Scene 1: Home
Me: Ah!!! Weekend…
He: Yeah. I can just sit at home and relax.
Me: Mmmm... I want to go out for small shopping.
He: {Looking suspicious} How “small” is this small shopping?
Me: {With all charm} Well... I need few vegetables for weekend cooking.
He: Can’t you use the one in fridge? And we have some frozen vegetables also.
Me: Oh no. No frozen vegetables. Nothing can beat the taste of fresh ingredients. I really need few ingredients. And besides I am gonna make your favourite dish.
{This piece of information gets his full attention}
He: And what is that?
Me: {Fluttering my eyelashes} Its surprise.
He: OK.. I hope it wont take more than half an hour.
Me: Yes. That’s all. Just 2-3 ingredients which I desperately need and we will be back with in half an hour.
He: OK.

Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy

Scene 2: Super Market
Me: Get the trolley honey.
He: Well, you did say "few" ingredients. {Stressing on few}
Me: Yeah, but look at the crowd here. Looks like whole city has come for shopping. Donno how long it will take to get it billed.
He: Just few ingredients right?
Me: Of course.
He: OK. {Not satisfied with the answer but has no option look}
Me: Oh look. Cauliflower looks so fresh!
He: But we have little cauliflower left in our fridge.
Me: I know. But I was thinking I will make Gobi Manchurian for you. It’s been sometime since I made that. And these cauliflowers are not that big.
He: {With twinkle in his eyes} Oh Gobi Manchurian? Pick one.
Me: This reminds me, I will need a pack of peppers and spring onions too.
He: What for?
Me: Don’t you know? For all Chinese dish I prepare, these ingredients are the must-must.
Oh!! Look here, they have got a good deal for mushrooms.
He: Do we need it?
Me: You do know as how I looooooooove mushrooms.
He: {Rolling his eyes} Ok.
Me: Mmm… These are the tomatoes I wanted. Big, juicy and firm.
He: Now!!! We have one full pack of tomatoes at home.
Me: I know. But I need these big tomatoes for JFI.
He: J what?
Me: JFI, it’s Jhiva For Ingredients. It’s a food event. This month’s theme is Tomato. Last time it was potatoes and I forgot to post my recipe. I don’t want to miss this time.
He: {Looks at me as if all of sudden two horns have sprouted on my head} But we have tomatoes. Cant you use them for your err…JFA?
Me: It’s JFI. And no, I need big tomatoes for stuffed tomatoes. Small ones won’t work.
He: OK. Take one pack then. {Looks at half filled trolley} Are you finished with shopping? We have got “few” ingredients you asked for.
Me: Mmm…. Just few more minutes. I need to buy pineapple.
He: We have canned one at home. And besides, our fruit basket is filled.
Me: I need pineapple for AFAM.
He: Now what is that?
Me: It’s another food event. A Fruit A Month.
He: {Looks more puzzled} How many food events you have and participate?
Me: Well, there is WFSE, MBP, VOTW, JFI, AFAM, MT, LCITK, A to Z…
He: {Confused, lost for words} OK

Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy

Then after one hour+ of shopping with over filled trolley "Me" and "He" come back home. "Me" happy with all the purchases and stuffing the fidge-freezer, "He" happy with all yummy food served day in and day out. So once again a very happy ending:)

Here is my entry for this month's JFI-Tomato which is hosted by gracious RP of My Workshop. Unlike last time, this time I didn't keep drooling at all my blogger buddies entries for the event and managed to post it before the deadline... Yayyy...

Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy

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Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy
Prep Time: 15-20 mins
Cooking Time: 30-40 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
8 large Tomatoes
For Stuffing:
2 Potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 tbsp Cheese/Paneer, grated
1 large Onion, chopped finely
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Chilli Paste
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
½ tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Mint Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
For Gravy:
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
½ tsp Coriander Powder
1 cup Fresh Yougurt
2 tbsp Ghee/Oil
Salt to taste

Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy

Method:
Remove the top of tomato by ½ inch using a small, sharp knife.
Spoon out the pulp inside using small spoon and reserve this pulp.
Combine all the ingredients for stuffing and mix well.
Make small balls of this mixture and stuff them into the tomatoes.
Place these stuffed tomatoes into non stick baking tray and bake them at 200 degree centigrade/Gas 7 for 4-5 minutes.
In a mean while, chop the tomato pulp into small pieces.
Heat ghee/oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
To this add cumin seeds and sauté it till they starts spluttering.
Then add chopped onions and sauté them till they become soft.
Now add coriander powder, garam masala, kitchen king masala, turmeric powder, tomato pulp and salt.
Sauté them for another 2-3 minutes in a medium flame.
To this add yogurt and mix well.
Reduce the flame and arrange baked tomatoes.
Cover the lid and cook in low flame for another 5-6 minutes till the outer skin of tomatoes starts wrinkling.
Serve these stuffed tomatoes garnished with mint/coriander leaves and cashew nuts.
Tastes delicious with rice or chapaties/roties.

Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy

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Did You Know?
Tomatoes are members of the fruit family, but they are served and prepared as a vegetable.
There are thousands of tomato varieties. The most widely available varieties are classified in three groups: cherry, plum, and slicing tomatoes.
They are high in vitamin C and also provide beta-carotene.
The National Cancer Institute published a study that showed an association between consuming a diet rich in tomato-based foods and a decreased risk of prostate cancer.
Tomatoes contain large amounts of an antioxidant called lycopene, which may be responsible for this possible positive effect. Tomato paste and sauces contain a greater amount of lycopene, because they are more concentrated than fresh tomatoes.
(Source: www.foodreference.com)

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Stuffed Tomatoes in Yogurt Gravy

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Stuffed Baingan & Okra

My hubby is a vegetable lover and is a firm believer of 5 portions a day. I tease him a lot because he eats more vegetables than rice. Our refrigerator filled with all sorts of veggies except for one vegetable, Brinjal/Egg Plant. Oh no!! It’s not because he hates it, it’s just that he is little allergic to it. Before marriage one of the very few vegetables I used to eat was Brinjal. My Amma is an expert when it comes to cooking different egg plant dishes. After marriage I hardly cook anything using brinjal. But after seeing wonderful recipes of egg plant in other blogs I couldn’t stop making one of my favourite dish Stuffed Baingan. I didn’t feel like cooking it just for myself. So after thinking a little I thought of making stuffed Okra for my hubby using same ingredients. This is my Amma’s recipe of making very tasty dish using very little oil.

Sizzling Pot of Stuffed Baingan & Okra

Ingredients:
6-7 small Egg Plants/Brinjals (My Portion:)
8-10 Okra/Ladies finger (My hubby's Portion;)
½ tbsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
2 Bay Leaves
2 medium Onion, finely chopped
3 big tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup Yogurt/Fresh Cream
2 tbsp chopped Coriander Leaves
1 ½ tbsp Oil
For Stuffing:
¼ cup Roasted Peanuts
1 tbsp Garam Masala
1 ½ tbsp Coriander Seeds
½ tbsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Kitchen King Masala (optional)
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
¾ tbsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste

My Portion of Stuffed Baingan

My Hubby's Portion of Stuffed Okra

Method:
Grind all the ingredients without adding any water and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add jeera and bay leaves.
When jeera starts spluttering add chopped onion and fry them till they turn transparent.
To this add chopped tomatoes and cook till they become tender.
In a mean while, slit small baingan and okra in mid way and stuff them with ground masala.
Arrange them in pan and cook them covered in medium flame.
When they are half cooked turn them over and add cream and any remaining ground masala powder.
Again close the lid and cook them in medium flame till they are done.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roties.

Stuffed Baingan & Okra served with Boiled Rice

Final Verdict:
Mmm…. It was really good to eat my favourite veggie after long time. They were just perfect. While the baby brinjals were tender, okra was crisp and yummy. Because there was hardly any oil being used while cooking it was not just tasty but healthy too. Quite satisfying dish.

Note:
You can also add ginger and garlic paste while cooking. I omitted them because of other masalas being used in stuffing. So I didn’t wanted the masalas to clash with one another, just to blend well.

Stuffed Baingan & Okra served with Boiled Rice

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