Thursday, March 12, 2009

Chettinad style Brinjal with Potatoes

beetroot = cabbage + green beans OR do beetroot equal purple cabbages and beans? I don't think so and I am sure none of you think so too, but someone in my house reads beets as cabbages! On those rare occasions when I ask the other adult in the household to do some grocery shopping I spend a significant amount of time getting the list ready. As for me I make list occasionally. Anyway the list for DH is a lot more detailed than anything I would make for me. It has instructions on how many tomatoes or potatoes to pick up, the size of the onions and where they should be pressed to find out if they are starting to go bad. It is indeed an arduous process.

You might be wondering if it wouldn't much easier just doing the shopping myself, well some days there is no other choice. Anyway all I remember putting in the list were beets but when I return from my trip, the grocery was put away and the kitchen counters and stove wiped clean. This pleased me no end but when I search for the beets all I see is a purple cabbage sitting next to the green cabbage that I had purchased just a few days earlier and a bag of green beans. So I come home with my head filled with beet recipes but there is no beets only purple cabbage and green beans. Some reprogramming was required to use up the purple cabbage instead. Adding chopped up cabbage to Dal Rice made it look and taste good.They were a great addition to fried rice and using them in place of onion in gravies. So if life hands me a cabbage or in particular a purple cabbate I have learnt to deal with it.

But purple brinjals are another matter altogether. Like this Brinjal masal on Solai's blog. I am sure most of you aware of this treasure trove of Chettinad recipes. Though Chettinad is famous for spicy non vegetarian dishes there are a quite a few lip smacking spicy vegetarian dishes as well. I just love the fact that she had used sambhar powder in the recipe. I added a few potatoes for some extra quantity.

We had them with some whole wheat rotis but tastes good with rice as well.


Photobucket


Recipe Source: Brinjal Masal

Chettinad Style Brinjal with Potatoes
Ingredients
1. 10 Medium sized purple brinjals sliced thin
2. 3 Medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced
3. 1/2 red or yellow onion chopped
4. 6-8 cloves of garlic sliced
5. 2 juicy red tomatoes chopped (I used 10 grape tomatoes and 1 medium sized tomato)
6. 1 tbsp sambhar powder
7. 2 tsp turmeric powder
8. seasonings - cumin, curry leaves and mustard
9. salt to taste
10. 2 tsp oil
Method
1. In a kadai heat oil and add the seasonings, when the mustard pops add the onions and saute till translucent.
2. Add garlic and saute for a minute more. Now add the tomatoes and salt and cook till the tomatoes are soft.
3. Add the brinjal pieces and saute for a few more minutes.
4. Add the potatoes, turmeric,sambhar powder,salt and mix with the brinjal pieces.
5. Sprinkle a tbsp of water, cover the lid and cook till the potatoes and brinjal turns soft.
6. Open the lid and saute till all the water is absorbed.

Serve with rotis.

26 comments:

  1. I feel ya! I find a recipe I really really like and if I don't find that veggie in the fridge, I get so frustrated. That's the reason I hoard! :P

    Aloo Baignan looks yum, and it's my fave too, never added sambhar pd though. If Solai has chettinad sambhar pd , I will be happy. Will go look for it!:)

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  2. The other adult at my place is very similar.. and I have a pre-made grocery list which is in the order in which veggies are available in that store.. along with prices to look out for since he has no clue on what is a bargain and not :) So, i typically take that, modify accordingly and email it when he has to do the shopping..

    My daughter (when she was a year younger) was so excited at seeing the purple cabbage at the store because she thought they were giant raisins.

    The curry looks fabulous.. and i often add sambar powder to curries too.

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  3. this sounds delicious.. will try isg. pic looks great!

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  4. I love the chettinad brinjal recipe. I was looking for some recipe ideas for our dinner party tomorrow...Would love to try this recipe.

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  5. I am drooling here just looking to the picture i can taste them? hy dodn'ti have this infront of me right now.

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  6. Like today I have this urge to make a salad with vine ripe tomatoes but I know there aren't any at home and I am too tired to stop by a store now.

    But the hubby is usually good with groceries except for the quantities.
    last couple of weeks I haven't got a chance to go veggie shopping(he did it) and I miss it :(

    Will add sambhar powder to baingan now :)

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  7. I have to write all the details when my hubby does grocery...or he is on cell phone while he is in the store...

    that aloo baingan looks delicious...I make it kinda like this, except for that addition of sambar powder.! that would really zing it up.

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  8. You took a trip, ISG! How fun and how nice that all the shopping got done and even put away! I did laugh at the beans + cabbage = beets. Maybe it's some sort of secret anagram language we gals don't know ;)

    Isn't Solai's blog a treasure -- I have a few brinjal from the store but waiting for garden time. Chettinad version looks so good... and cabbage in dal rice sounds great too! :)

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  9. Looks delicious n spicy.

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  10. I tried Chettinad mushroom recipe from Nupur's blog. We loved it. Next on the list to try is this dish. Bookmarked to try :D

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  11. I totally agree!! I think I have finally trained DH enough so he knows the natural consequences if he doesn't come home with the right stuff. :)

    Solai's blog is really a treasure!!

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  12. You are making desire to have this.

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  13. picture tells how tasty dish it is! I used to make sameway

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  14. Hurray i found yet another recipe to make my fav. fav Brinjal in yet another style...Thnks for the recipe,it sounds awesome

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  15. I prefer to pick up my own veggies for that very same reason - no specs required plus I can plan the next week's menu at the same time! Hubby is better off at driving me to the mkt or carrying the bags. Next time I'm marrying a gourmet who can shop as well as cook ;)

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  16. This looks yummy. What is it about the other adults that makes them unable to ID simple, everyday vegetables cooked or uncooked, or find out which salwar matches which kurta when it's so obvious?

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  17. Feel like having rite now...Looks yummy..i love cheetinad dishes, this potato n brinjal curry r simply superb!!

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  18. I just love the sound of this brinjal curry and it seems so simple too. Definitely will try this the next time I make brinjal !

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  19. That was funny. The other adult in the house does not even go to do grocery, even though he is good at it.
    The name Chettinad drew me, for I was thinking that it involved meat in it. But this is a good and easy one.

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  20. Thought I left u a comment y'day but maybe not.
    I like the idea of using sambhar powder with eggplant bhaji. We have a similar powder called palya pudi, which I use for many bhajis. Sambar powder + garlic/onion sounds wonderful!

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  21. That looks so delicious. Potatoes and eggplant are made for each other (although I admit I like potatoes with everything else and by itself too, and dotto for brinjal). Coincidentally, I made a brinjal-potato subzi today too, a rushed affair putting in whatever spices I first landed on.

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  22. Looks delicious! Nice recipe!

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  23. heheh..guess what the other adult would say after reading this!...looks lovely indo

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  24. So so true about husbands and grocery shopping...same story everywhere -i get at least 6 calls (and thats with a detailed list!!)if he ever goes to pick up something from a store.
    Love the combination of brinjal and potato

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  25. Thats a simpl and delicious cury. I have made it this way once but it took a long time as I simmered throug out the cooking process. But worth thee effort. They were delicious

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