Baingan Patiala (Stir fried eggplants)
Baingan or eggplant is called the King of vegetables in India. I’m sure it’s true in other cuisines also because of its versatility across and within cuisines. I first had Baingan Patiala at a local restaurant in Udaipur and immediately fell in love with the preparation. Till then my usual eggplant dish was Baingan Bharta or stuffed baingan but never a stir fried dish. After the meal, I actually pestered the chef to give me the recipe and now it’s a frequent accompaniment on our dinner menu!
Baingan Patiala (Stir fried eggplant)
Preparation Time: 10 mins| Cooking Time: 20 mins| Serves 2
Ingredients
5-6 thin and long purple eggplants cut into 8 pieces each
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, julienned
1 green chilli, chopped
2 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp. nigella (kalongi) seeds
1 tsp. coriander powder
½ tsp. cumin powder
¼ tsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp. red chilli powder
½ tsp. dry mango powder
¼ tsp. garam masala
Oil for cooking
Method
In a deep pan, stir fry eggplants till slightly brown, keep aside
In the same pan, (add more oil if required) add asafoetida and nigella seeds
Add green chillies; onions and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until onions turn soft
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes before adding all the spices (except garam masala)
Cook on medium heat and keep stirring in between. Cook until the mixture is dry (about 5 minutes). It will start to give out oil from the sides.
Add the stir-fried eggplants. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle garam masala on top
Remove from heat and serve hot with rotis/Indian bread.
-Ashima Goyal Siraj
Ashima loves to play around in the kitchen. While necessity forced her into kitchen, she soon made it her haven. The thrill of being able to create something new and sharing it with others is what fuels her passion for cooking. The fact that her husband is a big foodie is just an added advantage
. She believes that food is never just food; it’s story telling; it’s conversation. She blogs about her adventures in the kitchen at http://www.myweekendkitchen.in/
