Friday, October 9, 2009

Bell Pepper and Brinjal in peanut sauce

I wasn't going to talk about Obama, 2 posts in a row but here I am. "Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize" read a headline on a news website. My immediate reaction was to take a quick look at the calendar, it was not April! and then What?. But Why? The Nobel committee says it his vision for the future, rather than past achievement that deserved a Nobel Prize! Congratulations! Mr.President. We wish you all the best. I would also like to borrow Cilantro's quote" Lets hope `He still Can`" do what he promised when he was campaigning to be President and also fulfil the promises that so enamored the Nobel Prize committee into giving him this award.

An unseasonably warm pleasant day with a breeze and a Nobel prize for our President, what more can one ask for really?





Peanut dishes did not make a regular appearance in my kitchen until recently as part of a meal. In the unusual cases they did did it was as a snack - boiled, roasted and on very rare occasions chutney - once in a year maybe. This till I discovered blogs and in particular Andhra cooking. Peanuts I now realize hold a special place in most Andhra kitchens. They are used in gravies, chutneys, seasonings, masala and many more than I thought possible. I tasted a bell pepper gravy with peanuts in my friend's many many years ago and I assumed the creamy texture was from coconuts till she told me otherwise. Her Telgu friend had given her the recipe. I was reminded of the recipe recently when I had a few bell peppers on hand, and plenty of roasted peanuts. Used the recipe from Mahanandi, Capsicum Curry. Quick and very tasty recipe.






Recipe Source: Capsicum Curry

Bell Pepper and Brinjal in peanut sauce
1. 3 bell pepper cored and cut into small pieces
2. 1 Purple brinjal chopped (1 cup worth)
3. 1/2 medium sized red onion
4. 2 tomatoes chopped fine
5. seasonings: mustard, curry leaves and cumin

For the paste
1. half a cup of roasted peanuts
2. 6 roasted red chilies
3. 1 cup tamarind extract from a small lemon sized piece of tamarind

Blend the above to a smooth paste.

Method
1. In a pan heat oil and add the seasonings. When the mustards starts to splutter add the onions and saute till translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes and saute for a couple of minutes
3. Now add the brinjals and saute till they start to turn color.
4. Add the bell peppers and saute for a few minutes.
5. Lower the heat to low medium, add the blended peanut paste and a cup of water, salt and let it cook for about 10 minutes till the bell pepper is soft.
Add more or less water depending upon consistency.


Serve with rice.

17 comments:

  1. I love the combi of bell pepper and brinjal! I have a gojju on my blog with this combo. I don't use peanut a lot in curries either but do love the taste it brings, especially with eggplants.
    I was surprised with the Nobel Peace Prize too. I think it's more in recognition of his honest efforts towards peace in the world rather than his accomplishments so far, which makes it different from others. Deserved still.

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  2. One point with the Nobel Peace Prize though - the nomination was made when he was just barely days into presidency. I don't think he was a likely candidate then. But I still think it was good choice because he does deserve it now.

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  3. Vani, I am not particularly sure he deserved it Vani. But if I were to quote Walter Russell Mead there is not doubt he is a very very lucky man. Europeans making amends for the Olympic fiasco perhaps.

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  4. Quite surprised to hear of Obama, Indo! Your curry looks v good. As for the peanut in Andhra cooking, I think it's more a habit in the Rayalaseema districts because it grows abundantly there. Not sure what the coastal and Telangana districts do to thicken their gravies - we rarely used coconut, either, at home.

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  5. This recipe of yours reminds me of a recipe I had (some cutting from some magazine)& which I lost. I had prepared it with the capsicums & it tasted, out to be really awesome.

    I don remember if it was similar, but would prepare to see if it is.

    Ash......
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

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  6. I was sure you would bring this up....I was very very suprised about the Nobel prize to Obama. I too think europeans found a way to amend for the Olympic fiasco which is way too much. Chicago deserves the olymipcs more than Obama for the NObel prize.
    Anyway lets hope he keeps up to the expectations the whole world has on him.

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  7. Capsicum, brinjal & peanut is a combination which i would have never got it our of my own head! But the curry does look good.

    The Nobel Prize thing sounds to me like the world has a teenager kinda crush on Mr. President.

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  8. This just proves there are more people out there like me ;-)

    I have never used peanuts as a paste in a curry, sounds yummy though

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  9. Shri said,

    It looks delicious, ISG!And it is fall and what better to make than something with butternut squash and pumpkin!And with Obama..The SNL skit on Obama was very funny!If you did not, you shud on Youtube!Very well said:)

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  10. Soma, I have generally thought of Europeans to be a little bit more level headed :)

    Sandeepa, the Nobel carries with it a cash prize of 1 1/2 million dollars and it does not look all that innocent to me.

    Shri, sorry I had to repost your comment, the result of fat fingers tiny keyboard.
    I did see that SNL and thoroughly enjoyed but unfortunately how true.

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  11. Love the combination of capsicum n brinjal! Great with rotis!

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  12. mmm lovely combo. I have once tried this recipe. Lot more colorful during the prep time ;) Amma recenlty roasted the dry penauts in a different way. It tasted more like roasted cahsew. Would post that soon.

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  13. I love peanuts boiled. :-)
    Bell pepper and peanut sound a great combi ISG. Must try. :-)

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  14. Looks like a wonderful combo! Delicious!

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  15. oh I chunckled when you said looking at the calender :D oh yeah, lets hope :D
    I love the combo of brinjal and peanut!

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  16. Never tried this combo.....love that creamy peanut sauce....

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  17. I haven't made too many curries with ground peanut too... This looks delicious.
    And as for your qn. regarding the baby keeping me busy, the answer is a resounding yes! :)
    Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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