Brinji

Some quick notes about the ingredients and cooking method:

  1. I add a pinch of turmeric powder along with the chilli powder. This makes the red brighter, which I like better than the regular red of the chilli powder.
  2. Keep the tomatoes handy when adding the red chilli powder. It is important the tomatoes go in on time. If the ghee/oil mixture is too hot, and the two powders fry for long, the mixture becomes brown in colour. Adding the tomatoes on time prevents this browning.
  3. Flame control is important when cooking brinji in steam (and you are the best judge of it on your stove). If the flame is too high, the water may evaporate without getting infused into the brinji, leaving you with uncooked or dry brinji; if the flame is too low, the mixture may have water at the bottom. The general idea is to cook the mixture for about 10 minutes. That gives you the perfect, slightly creamy brinji. If you smell burning rice, turn off the flame; do not worry about the whistle.

Yields: map[Count:4]

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pcs cinnamon
  • 2 cardamom
  • 2 cloves
  • ½ star anise
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • 10 cashews
  • 1½ green chillies
  • ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 large onion julienne
  • 1 handful mint leaves
  • ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 tomato julienne
  • 1 carrot julienne
  • 1 large potato julienne
  • 5 beans cut in 1-inch long pieces
  • ½ cup peas
  • 1 cup basmati rice (soaked for 30 mins)
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1½ tsp Tata Salt Lite (or, salt to taste)
  • 1 handful of mint and coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp of ghee
  • 3 slices of bread

Directions

  • Heat a cooker and add the ghee and oil.
  • Once the oil heats up, add the bay leaves.
  • About five seconds later, add the - cinnamon - cardamom - cloves - star anise - fennel seeds
  • Fry until they become aromatic.
  • Add the cashews and fry for a ten seconds.
  • Add the three green chillies.
  • Add the ginger garlic paste.
  • Fry until the raw aroma goes away.
  • Add the onions and mint leaves, and fry until the onions become translucent.
  • Add the chilli powder and fry for a couple of seconds.
  • Add in the tomatoes and fry for a minute.
  • Now, add the carrots, potatoes, beans and the peas.
  • Sauté for about two minutes.
  • Add the soaked basmati rice and mix.
  • Add the coconut milk and the water.
  • Add the salt, mint leaves and coriander leaves.
  • Add a little ghee.
  • Close the cooker and wait for it to steam.
  • Place the cooker weight, lower the flame to medium, and wait for the first whistle.
  • Meanwhile, cut the bread slices in 1-inch squares and fry them in oil.
  • Once the pressure settles, mix in the bread pieces (be gentle).
  • Serve hot.

Category: Main course

Cuisine: Indian

Tags: Chennai • Tamil

inspired from Steffi