Masala Aloo

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 (huge ones)
or 1/4th kg small lemon sized ones
Oil - 3 tbsp
Curry leaves - a twig
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For masala curry powder:

Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Tuar dal - 1/2 tbsp
Dhania - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Peppercorn - 4
Dry red chillies - 2

Method:

Pressure cook potatoes, cool, peel and keep aside. If you're using big potatoes, cut each into eight pieces or you can scoop out small, round pieces just like the ones used for dum aloo. Roast all the ingredients for the masala powder and grind them together to make coarse curry powder.

In a pan, heat oil, add jeera and curry leaves to it. Add pre-cooked potatoes to the oil and let them fry for 4-5 minutes. Once they are fried, add salt, turmeric powder and the curry powder. Ensure that the powder is sufficient for all the potatoes. Let the curry powder get fried properly so it leaves a unique flavour and aroma.

After 5-7 minutes, remove from flame and serve hot with rice.

Baingan ka bartha

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 1-2 (big, round ones meant for the bartha)
Onions - 2 (medium sized, chopped fine)
Shelled fresh Peas - 100 gms
Tomatoes - 2 (medium sized, chopped fine)
Green chillies - 2-3 (slit vertically)
Curry leaves - a few
Coriander - a small bunch (chopped fine)
Tamarind pulp - 2 tsps
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4th tsp
For seasoning:
Oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Dry red chillies - 2 (cut into halves)

Method:
Roast brinjals directly on the flame. Cool, peel the skin, mash the brinjals and keep aside. In a pan, heat oil, add the ingredients for the seasoning and when they start to splutter, add green chillies, curry leaves, and onions. When onions turn brown, add tomatoes, salt, turmeric and chilli powder, peas and tamarind pulp. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are soft and oil starts leaving the sides of the pan.
Remove from pan, add the mashed brinjal, decorate with chopped coriander. The dish goes very well with both rotis and rice.

Bagara baingan

This is not the one you are so used to seeing at restaurants that serve Hyderabadi cuisine but it is my version of it.

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 1/2 kg (small, round ones)
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 3 (medium sized)
Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball (soaked in warm water)
Peanuts - 20 gms
Dhania (coriander seeds) - 1 tsp
Saunf - 1 tsp
Shahjeera - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies - 2
Peppercorns - 3-4
Cinnamon - 2 sticks (1" piece each)
Cloves - 3
Garlic - 4 pods
Ginger - a small piece
Curry leaves - a few
Bay leaf - 2
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 1/2 cup

Method:

Wash brinjals thoroughtly, slit vertically twice (ensuring the brinjal doesn't get cut into halves) to make it like a pouch, leave it in salt water. Chop onions and tomatoes fine, and squeeze juice out of the tamarind pulp.

For the masala paste, grind together peanuts, dhania, saunf, shahjeera, red chillies, one piece of cinnamon, one clove, garlic and ginger with a little water.

In a pan, heat oil, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves. Then add chopped onions and when they turn brown, add tomatoes. Once oil starts leaving the sides, add brinjals, salt, turmeric powder, and cook them covered.

When brinjals are tender, add the tamarind juice and the masala paste and cook it for 10 minutes on low flame while stirring in between to avoid burning.

Remove from fire, serve hot with rice or rotis.

Brinjal pulusu

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 3-4 (long ones)
Onions - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball (soaked in warm water)
Green chillies - 2 (cut into half and slit length-wise)
salt - to taste
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Rice flour or gram flour - 2 tsps
Jaggery - a small piece
Water - 2-3 cups

For seasoning:

Curry leaves - a twig
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal (gram) - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 1 (cut into 3 pieces)
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:
Cut brinjals into big pieces. Chop onions and tomatoes fine. Heat oil in a pan, add the seasoning ingredients. Once they start spluttering, add green chillies, onions, and tomatoes. Let them cook for 2 minutes, add salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, and brinjals. Add a little water, cover and cook. Once brinjals become tender, squeeze out the tamarind juice and add it along with jaggery. Pour 2 cups of water and bring the whole thing to a boil. Make a paste of rice/ gram flour by adding little water to it. Add it to the boiled pulusu, let it simmer for a few more minutes on medium flame. The pulusu goes very well with rice and dosas.

Brinjal-broad beans curry

Ingredients:

Brinjals (long ones) - 1/4th kg
Broad beans - 1/4th kg
Ginger - a 2" piece
Green chillies - 4-5
Coriander - a small bunch
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp

Method:
Cut brinjals and broad beans into big pieces (say 1-1/2" pieces). Grind green chillies, ginger (peeled and cut into pieces), corainder with salt and keep aside. In a pan (non-stick or pressure pan), heat oil, add jeera. When it starts spluttering, add brinjals, beans, and turmeric powder. Cover and cook till the vegetables are cooked well. Remove the lid and fry it a bit. Serve hot with rice.

Brinjal chutney - 2

Ingredients:

Brinjals (preferably the lengthy ones, if not available small, round ones will do) - 2
Tomatoes - 3 (medium sized)
Salt - to taste
Dry red chillies - 2
Chana (yellow gram) dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Hing (Asafoetida) - a pinch
Coriander - a small bunch
OR
Curry leaves - a twig
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add chana dal, urad dal, methi, jeera, mustard, red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Fry till the chana dal and red chillies turn brown. Cut brinjals and tomatoes into small pieces, and add it to the seasoning. Add salt and turmeric powder, cover and cook for a few minutes. When brinjals are tender, remove from fire. When it reaches room temperature, grind everything together in a mixer without adding water. Add 1 tsp of sugar if you don't prefer your chutneys to be tangy. This chutney usually has a batter-like consistency, and can be had to rice, idlis and dosas.

Brinjal Chutney

I have two different recipes for the chutney. Here is the first one:

Ingredients:

Brinjals (big, round ones) - 2
Green chillies - 4
Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized ball (soaked in very little water)
Dry red chillies - 2
Chana (yellow gram) dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Hing (Asafoetida) - a pinch
Coriander - a small bunch
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

For seasoning:
Oil - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 2 (cut into half)
Curry leaves - a twig

Method:
Roast brinjals directly on the flame. Cool, peel and keep aside. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil, add chana dal, urad dal, methi, jeera, mustard, red chillies, and hing. Fry till the chana dal and red chillies turn brown. Cool the seasoning and grind it in a mixer to a fine paste, along with the soaked tamarind, salt, and coriander. In the end, add the roast brinjal and grind again. Once done, remove from the mixer, add the seasoning (fry the ingredients for seasoning in oil) and serve with rice.

Brinjal curry

Ingredients:

Brinjals (long ones) - 1/2 kg
Green chillies - 5-6
Ginger - 2" piece
Salt- to taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:
Cut each brinjal into 2 to 3 pieces depending on its size. Slit vertically and leave it aside in water. Peel ginger and cut into 5-6 big pieces. Grind it into a paste along with green chillies. Add salt and turmeric powder to the paste and stuff it into the slit brinjals. Heat oil in a pan and place the stuffed brinjals in it. Cover and cook till brinjals become completely tender. Remove from fire. Serve hot with rice - serves 4.

Chana dal-potato

Lets have a date with the king of vegetables, Potato, today!

I'm gonna share a few family secrets with all of you. Ready guys?

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 (medium sized, cut into big cubes)
Onions - 2 (big, chopped fine)
Tomatoes - 3 (medium sized, chopped fine)
Green chillies - 3 (slit vertically)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Bayleaf - 1
Dalchini (cinnamon) - 2 (1" pieces)
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - to taste
Oil - 1/4 cup


Method:

Soal chana dal in sufficient water for about an hour. Cook chana dal and potatoes in the pressure cooker, and switch if off after two whistles.

Heat oil in a kadai (pan) and add jeera (cumin seeds) to it. Add dalichini, cloves, bayleaf, and green chillies. Then add onions and ginger-garlic paste to it. When onions turn brown, add turmeric powder, chilli powder. and tomatoes.

Keep the kadai covered for 5 minutes (or till the tomatoes are soft and the oil starts leaving the sides of the pan). Now add the precooked dal and potato mixture to the gravy. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove from fire once done, and add chopped coriander, if you like, for an appealing look. Serve the curry hot, with roti or rice.

Potato fry

The usual way of frying potatoes is by peeling them, cutting them either vertically (French Fries style) or into small cubes and deep frying them in a pan full of oil.

Here is an alternative way - perhaps a little low calorie too!

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3-4 (depending on the size)
Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Oil - 2-3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1 tsp or according to taste

Method:

Pressure cook the potatoes, cool and peel them. Cut them into big cubes (say 8-10 pieces per potato). Take a pan, put 2 spoonfuls of oil, let it boil a bit, and add jeera to it.

Add curry leaves (if you like it, you can also add 1 or 2 pods of garlic, crushed). Now add the potato pieces to the pan and let it fry a bit.

Once the pieces turn brown, remove from fire, take them in a bowl, add salt, turmeric and chilli powder.

Cover it and bounce the bowl to mix the ingredients (without using spoon/ spatula). Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Potato curry, with a dash of lime juice

(Authentic Andhra way - my favourite curry from my grandmom's kitchen)

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3-4 (big)
Lime juice - 2/3 tbsp
Oil - 1/4 cup
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Rai (mustard seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 4 (chopped into 1" pieces)
curry leaves - a bunch
salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Pressure cook potatoes. Cool, peel, and mash them and keep aside. In a kadai (pan), heat oil, add chana dal. After it is fried a little, add urad dal, jeera, rai, green chillies and curry leaves to the oil.

Now, add the potato mash to the seasoning, and put salt, turmeric and chilli powder to it. Cook it on low flame for 5 mts or till potato has a semi-fried look.

Remove from the fire, and leave it to cool for 10 minutes. Add lime juice and serve with rice.

Potato Bhajiya

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 1 (medium size)
Besan (Yellow gram powder) - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilli powder or ground pepper - 1 tsp
Water - 1-2 cups
Oil - 3 cups
Cooking soda - a pinch

For stuffing:

Onions (chopped fine) - 2 (medium sized)
Salt - 1 tsp
Lime juice - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 1 (chopped fine)
Coriander - a small bunch (chopped fine)
Method:

Peel potato, slice it very thin with potato slicer, dip them in salt water and keep aside. Bring oil to boil in a kadai.

Mix besan, salt, turmeric and chilli powder, add one or two spoons of boiling oil to this before mixing water.

Add cooking soda, and water and mix well (ensuring there are no lumps) to make into thin batter (2-3 thread consistency).

Dip each slice of potato and deep fry them in oil. When it is fried properly, remove from fire.

For stuffing, mix chopped onions, chillies, coriander, lime juice, and salt in a bowl.

Take each bhajiya, slit it vertically to make a pouch. Fill one spoon of the stuffing mixture and keep aside.

Serve hot with tomato / mint chutney or tomato sauce.

Brinjal Pachchi Pulusu

Ingredients:

Brinjals (big, round ones) - 3
Onions - 1 (medium sized, chopped fine)
Green chillies - 2-3
Tamarind - a lemon-sized ball (soaked in warm water)
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Salt - 2 tsps
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning:
Oil - 2 tbsp
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
Dry red chillies - 2-3

Method:
Roast brinjals directly on the stove on medium flame, cool, peel and mash them a bit. Heat oil in a pan, put urad

dal, methi seeds, jeera, mustard seeds, dry red chillies, and asafoetida. When the seasoning starts spluttering,

put green chillies cut into half and slit vertically, and chopped onions. Add salt, turmeric, and chilli powder.

Once onions turn brown, squeeze pulp out of soaked tamarind and add it to the pan. Put jaggery, cover and cook for

4-5 minutes. Once done, add the mashed brinjal pulp to it, and remove from stove. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Brinjal curry with onion masala

Let's try to beat boredom with a few brinjal recipes. How about making Eggplant (brinjal) recipes more appealing?

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 1/4th kg (the lengthy ones, not the round ones)
Onions - 4
Green chillies - 4-5
Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a twig
Oil - 1 cup

Method:

Cut each brinjal into two or pieces (depending on the size of the brinjal) horizontally - each piece needs to be slit and stuffed. Leave the pieces in water. Meanwhile, cut onions into 4-6 pieces. Cut green chillies into half. Grind them together along with jeera and dhaniya to make a coarse paste. Now, take each piece of the cut brinjal, slit it vertically on both sides to give it a pouch-like look, stuff the onion paste inside it and keep aside. Heat oil a non-stick pan, add a few curry leaves and place the stuffed brinjals in the oil. Cover and cook on low/ medium flame, checking if it has become tender occasionally. The brinjals should be cooked and fried too. If there is any remaining onion paste, put it on top of the brinjals and let it all fry together. When it is cooked and the onion paste turns brown, with oil leaving the sides, remove from fire. Serve hot with rice.