Stuffed Eggplant (Baked)

This is an improvement of the Stuffed Eggplant Poriyal recipe, which is cooked on the stove. I tried that, but my spices burned, so I decided to bake the eggplant dish instead.

Stuffing:

VAGHAR:

2 tsp oil
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp urad dal, picked over and rinsed
2 tbsp yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hing
3-4 dried red chillies, seeds removed

ADD:

1 c flaked coconut, dry roasted till brown
salt to taste
1.5 tsp tamarind concentrate
1/2 c water

THEN:

Blend it all together into a thick paste.

STUFF paste into 12 baby eggplants.

Eggplants should be slit into quarters lengthwise, and not cut through entirely.

Fill the eggplant slits with stuffing and set aside. NOTE: Slit eggplants only AFTER stuffing is ready, or eggplants will become discolored.

Preheat oven to 250 F.

Arrange stuffed eggplants in greased pyrex.

Take leftover stuffing, add water (around 1 c) to make a stuffing that is just slightly more runny than pancake batter. Pour over eggplants.

Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Check. Bake for longer as needed until cooked. (Mine took just over 2 hours).

Serve hot with rice.

ALTERNATIVE: Can stuff green peppers instead of eggplant if you want.

NOTE: Tastes great, turned out well. Missed the roasted eggplant taste. Next time will split the difference — will cook the eggplant on the stove FIRST (after it has been split, before it has been stuffed) and then dunk it in the watered down stuffing and let it simmer on the stove or in the oven. A local South Indian place serves its veggies like this, and now I know why.

Stuffed Eggplant Poriyal

This is a South Indian style stuffed roasted eggplant adapted from the book “Dakshin”.

Stuffing:

VAGHAR:

1 tsp oil
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3/4 tbsp black gram dal OR  urad dal, picked over and rinsed
3/4 tbsp bengal gram dal OR yellow split peas OR chana dal, picked over and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hing
1/2 dried red chili

ADD:

1/2 c flaked coconut (or 1/2 fresh coconut, grated), dry roasted till brown
salt to taste
a spoonful of tamarind concentrate
a little water

THEN:

Blend it all together into a thick paste.

STUFF paste into 2-3 baby eggplants.

Eggplants should be slit into quarters lengthwise, and not cut through entirely.

Fill the eggplant slits with stuffing and set aside.

NOTE: Slit eggplants only AFTER stuffing is ready, or eggplants will become discolored.

THEN:

VAGHAR:

3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black gram dal OR urad dal, picked over and rinsed
1 tsp bengal gram dal OR yellow split peas OR chana dal, picked over and rinsed
1 red chili, halved
a few curry leaves

ADD:

Stuffed eggplants, salt to taste, and a little water.

Sprinkle leftover stuffing over eggplants.

Cover and simmer over low heat until eggplants are tender.

Remove lid and saute for a few more minutes, without stirring too much. Take care not to break the eggplant.

Serve hot with rice.

OPTION1: Can stuff green peppers instead of eggplant if you want.

OPTION2: ALTERNATE (EASY PEASY) PASTE:

3/4 c roasted peanuts
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt to taste

Add 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes after eggplant is tender.

NOTE1: Eggplant did not cook when I made it as above because I used a big baby eggplant instead of those really small baseball sized eggplant.

NOTE2: If using a big eggplant, it is advisable to slit, stuff, and wrap in aluminum foil and let cook at 400 F for 30 min or so, then proceed with VAGHAR above.

NOTE3: Next time, do not add the extra masala to the pot as the same time as the eggplant; it burns. Add it after the eggplant has cooked, and then let it simmer for five minutes or so.

 

Jaggery Dosa

Aka: Ghol Dosa
From: Dakshin
This recipe is EXCELLENT for breakfast.
Think of it as a sweet breakfast crepe.

Ingredients:

1 c powdered jaggery
2 c boiling water
2 c wheat flour
1 c rice flour
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
oil for shallow frying

Directions:

1. Heat jaggery and water over low heat. Simmer until thoroughly blended. Remove from heat. Let cool.
2. Sift together rice and wheat flour.
3. Make a well in the center and add jaggery syrup..
4. Combine to a thin pouring consistency. You may need to add water. Think – think pancake batter.
5. Let sit overnight at room temperature.
6. Next day, make for breakfast – cook like you would a pancake. Serve hot with butter or ghee on top.
7. Enjoy!

Ginger Rasam

Rasam is a spicy broth. It’s a South Indian specialty, and both delicious and healthy. This recipe is adapted from Dakshin by Chandra Padmanabhan. I HIGHLY recommend this book for the best in South Indian Vegetarian recipes. Photos of each recipe are included as well 🙂

BLEND:

3 tbsp red gram dal (or pigeon peas, or toor dal)[masoor], soaked in 1 c water for 30 min
3-4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 green chilies [I used 1/2 jalapeno]
2-3 pieces of fresh ginger (each piece 1 in)[I used a 1×1 cube of ginger]
3 tsp grated coconut
1 tbsp powdered jaggery
1.5 c water

VAGHAR in 2 tsp ghee:

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder (hing)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 red chili pepper, halved [I used 1/2 dried red pepper]
a few curry leaves

Add salt to taste.

Add water as necessary (consistency is of a broth, not a soup).

Add a spoonful of tamarind concentrate.

Let simmer over low heat for as long as you can (1 hour or so).

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!