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Foodie - Aloo-Baigan otherwise known aspotato-brinjal curry

Foodie - Aloo-Baigan otherwise known aspotato-brinjal curry

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2016-11-25
Eggplant, aubergine, or as we call it in KZN, brinjal, no matter what you want to call it, it is one of my favourite vegetables. I can eat it for breakfast lunch and supper and there are so many ways that you can prepare them. It's no wonder that Brinjal has long been prized for its beauty as well as its unique taste and texture.

Brinjal is really good for you and is considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables on earth, as they are rich sources of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. Plants that form such compounds are great for protecting us against oxidative stress and from exposure to the elements, as well as from infection by bacteria and fungi.

When cutting a brinjal, use a stainless steel knife as carbon steel will react with its phytonutrients and cause it to turn black. Wash the brinjal first and then cut off the ends.

Most brinjal can be eaten either with or without their skin. However, the larger ones and those that are white in colour generally have tough skins that may not be palatable. To remove the skin, you can peel it before cutting or if you are baking it, you can scoop out the flesh once it is cooked.

To tenderize the flesh's texture and reduce some of its naturally occurring bitter taste, you can sweat the brinjal by salting it. After cutting the brinjal into the desired size and shape, sprinkle it with salt and allow it to rest for about 30 minutes. This process will pull out some of its water content and make it less permeable to absorbing any oil used in cooking.

Rinsing the brinjal after "sweating" will remove most of the salt.

Brinjal can be baked, roasted in the oven, or steamed. If baking it whole, pierce the brinjal several times with a fork to make small holes for the steam to escape.

This week I am making a brinjal and potato curry: its simple and delicious.

You will need:

Ingredients:-

250g Aubergines/ Brijal

250g Potatoes (Boiled)

1 TBP Chilli Powder

1 TSP Fresh Turmeric

1 TSP Cumin Powder

1 TSP Coriander Powder

2 TSP Garam Masala

1 TSP Fresh chopped Chilli

2 Onion chopped

2 TSB fresh Ginger (minced)

2 Fresh tomatoes chopped

1 Cup fresh coriander

1 Cup Water

2 TBS Vegetable oil

Salt

How I made it:-

* Boil the potato in a saucepan until soft. Peel and cut into cubes.

* Quarter the brinjal lengthways and cut into small size cubes same as potatoes. Sprinkle some salt to tenderise and get rid of the bitter flavour.

* Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds when they start to splutter add fennel seeds.

* Add ginger, green chilli and onions. Cook for five minutes or until the mixture begins to brown.

* Add the tomato. Keep the flame on low.

* Add the rest of the spices and cook for 1 minute.

* Rinse the brinjal and add it along with salt and sautÈ for 4 minutes.

* Add the water. Bring to boil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

* Stirring frequently to ensure the brinjal cooks evenly.

* Once the brinjal start to sink with mixture add the boiled potatoes.

* Cook for 5 minutes.

* Add the chopped coriander and remove from the heat.

Serve with rice and roti