Thursday, May 31, 2012

Spicy (really spicy) Shrimp Stir Fry with goose berries (served over Quinoa)

At lunch while heating food in the kitchen I got into a conversation with one of my colleagues, about what else but food. She had purchased a bag of red chili powder from the Indian store thinking it would be similar in taste to the ones she is used to buying in a regular grocery store.

She found it a lot more spicier and less flavorful. The ones she was used to had a smokier taste but a bit more spicy than paprika and less spicy than cayenne. Having purchased only paprika and cayenne but not just red chili powder I could not help much with her why question. I offered to get her some Kashmiri chili powder to taste before investing in a huge bag thinking it might provide the taste she is looking for.

I do not buy chili powder or any Indian spices in the regular grocery stores as they expensive for the quantity and for the amounts I buy I'd go broke pretty soon. The exact reason why she went to an Indian grocery store. I patronize the spice aisles in the grocery stores only when I am in need of spices that are not available in my trusted Indian grocery store.

I learned something new about chilies and that leads nicely to the recipe today which utilized 3 kind of chilies and turned out to be a lot spicier than I expected it to be. So go easy on the heat if you cannot take it but if you are game for some heat go right ahead and give it a try.

Quinoa is one of those grains that is a good substitute for rice when eating with curries. It is still high in carbohydrates but provides variation of grains in the diet.

A sour agent is very essential in any seafood preparation. In this curry the sour taste comes from the gooseberries. I used the American kind, if you can get hold of the small variety Indian kind they'd be a good substitute. If you cannot find gooseberries green mangoes will do the trick as well.

I had some fresh gooseberries and used those.



Shrimp Stir Fry with goose berries
Ingredients
1. 24 Medium sized shrimp
2. 1 onions sliced lengthwise
3. 6-8 garlic cloves chopped
4. 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
5. 3/4 tbsp Fried Chili paste (see note)
6. 6-7 slit green chilies (shake out the seeds) - optional
7. handful of gooseberries chopped roughly
8. 1 lemon sliced
9. 1 tsp of red chili powder - optional
10. salt to taste
11. 1 tsp oil (see note)

Method
1. Marinate the shrimp in salt and chili powder and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a saute pan and when hot add the onions and green chilies and saute till the onions start to get translucent, add in the garlic and ginger and saute for a couple of minutes more.
3. Add the chili paste and saute for a few more minutes.
4. Add in the gooseberries and let them cook for a few minutes. (see note)
5. Now add the shrimp and saute on high heat for 4-5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Add more salt if required.

Serve over Qunioa (see link and look under Cooking Quinoa).

Note:
1. Any chili paste would do or just plain chili powder. Kashmiri Chili powder for the color but less heat.
2. The fried Thai Chili Pastes has a lot of oil and garlic so I reduced the amount of oil used for sauteing.
3. I wanted the gooseberries to have a bit of crunch so did not cook for them too long. If you want them mushed cook a bit longer.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Breakfast in a hurry - Mango Banana Smoothie with honey

Bad things happen! Duh! We all know that. The reason I bring this up is because this blog has had to suffer. Not that I am a super talented photographer but my camera was a very important part of this blog's upkeep. Last week the camera slipped from my hands and fell, lens side down and broke. The heartache from breaking the lens on one hand and being called reckless by DH on the other all conspired to keep me away from posting anything new.

After moping for a few days I am now researching for a new lens and also learned a few tricks with the other long range lens which I rarely use. Now the not so often used point and shoot camera has been commandeered for service and seems to be coping just fine.

I have heard it said a lot of times.
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!"
"Eat breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dinner like a Pauper"



For me, skipping breakfast creates all sorts of problems. I feel sleepy, tired and hungry all day. Spending precious time in the morning is not an option, breakfast that is quick and filling is a necessity. This smoothies is also perfect for those trying to cut down on carbohydrates and adding more fruits in their diet. I am not a big fan of eating bananas but in a smoothie I actually like them.

This smoothie is just right when in a hurry and to eat on the go. You can be as creative as you want with the fruits. I prefer bananas or apples for the bulk and any combination of berries or while in season mango. Sweetened with maple syrup or honey. Takes exactly 5 minutes from start to finish.

What is your favorite quick breakfast?





Mango Banana Smoothie with honey
Ingredients
1. 1 ripe banana
2. 1 ripe mango
3. 1 tbsp of honey or maple syrup or sugar (see note)
4. 1 cup of pasteurized milk


Method
1. Peel and cut the fruits and combine with honey and milk in a blender. Blend till the fruit is mushed. Add more if required.

Pour into glasses and breakfast is ready. Topped with a tiny bit of mango sorbet (recipe coming soon).

Note:
Cut out the sugar completely if you prefer. Tastes just as good.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Grilled Mahi Mahi (fish) with Mango Salsa & Butter rice

I am sure a lot of you listen to TED talks so do I but I am not regular visitor to the website and neither do I watch each and every TED talk. Last week what piqued my curiosity was this article Too Hot for TED - Income Inequality on the National Journal website. The very same evening there was an interview with Nick Hanauer on NPR on their marketplace show. Then this article on Time.com. The talk everyone was talking about was by Nick Hanauer on Income Inequality.

The explanation that Chris Anderson's gave in a blog post is unconvincing. He might not be a puppet of the Republican party but after this episode his site and the talks they host measures a notch lower in my estimate. Truly censorship in any form is unsavory and especially from a site that claims innovation and ideas worth spreading and one that is not used to shying away from controversy. I am not ready to believe the argument that it had partisan comments. Listen and decide for yourself - link here.

Moreover the talk has a created a buzz that might not have happened if they had posted the talk in the first place and I for sure would not be talking about it. Pay close attention to the graphs that are posted in the talk.

After you have listened to the talk and maybe thought that yes a vibrant middle class is necessary for any civil society and are ready to eat, let me recommend this quick and easy roasted fish with some fresh mango salsa and rice cooked with a blob of butter.

You can use any fish that you prefer barring salmon which might dry out if cooked this way. We used Mahi Mahi fillets. We used the outdoor gas grill but the fish can also be pan fried.



Grilled Mahi Mahi
Ingredients
1. 4-6 fillets of Mahi Mahi fish
2. 1/2 tbsp or more of chili powder
3. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
4. salt to taste
5. Oil to brush the grill

Method
1. Mix the chili powder, turmeric powder and salt together.
2. Rub on both sides of the fish and let it sit for 30-45 minutes.
3. Grill the fish or heat a griddle and pan fry the fish on both sides.

Mango Peach Salsa
Recipe from here.


Butter Rice
Ingredients
1. 1 cup of Jasmine Rice
2. 2 cups of water
3. 1/2 tbsp of butter (or use olive oil)

Method
1. In a sauce pan heat the water till boiling.
2. Add in the rinsed rice and butter
3. Cover with lid and cook on the stove top till all the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat but keep the lid for 5-10 minutes.
4.Fluff up the rice with a fork before serving.

Plate the fish with salsa and rice on the side.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Gravied Drumsticks - Recipe from Sukham Ayu (Simple Lunches -25)

Losing a wallet or a purse is a traumatic experience. It almost happened to me couple of weeks ago. As I sat in a meeting I realized that my pocket had suddenly gotten lighter. I finished the meeting replaying everything I did from the time I left home till I reached the office. I kept going back to the previous night's events. I had left my wallet upstairs after paying for something on the internet even though I also vaguely remember taking it before leaving the house that morning.

Pushing aside that thought I had convinced myself that it was at home. I rushed back home all the while hoping it was still safe upstairs on my bedside table. It was not there. I called my friend at the office and asked her to check around my desk. Not there. Then I began the unenviable task of calling all the credit card companies and banks to cancel or block the cards. I finished the task and could not sit idle so decided to go back to the office and do something useful - talk to the security guard and also to look in the parking lot to see if it fell out of my pocket.

Let me digress a bit. What in the world has happened to women's pant pockets?. What used to be fairly deep pockets have somehow been made to be shallow pieces of cloth suitable for holding nothing.

I made it back to the office again, driving up and down on the interstate without a license and thinking that had that to take care of as well. Anyway I drove within speed limits and following all traffic rules. I made it back to the office, went down on my hands and knees and scanning the parking lot and finding nothing.

Walked back into the office and to my seat and found the wallet sitting at the back of my chair in the wedge between the backrest and the seat. I heaved a big sigh of relief and sat down to steady my nerves. That was easily the most nerve wracking couple of hours of my unexciting life. Phew and Thank God.




But another colleague of mine was not as lucky. She had her purse stolen while she was at a restaurant a popular and a very busy restaurant. Her bag was taken from an empty seat beside her by what she suspects is a group of people and within an hour debit and credit cards were used in several grocery stores, gas stations and other stores in the same zip code. Remember they had pretty much everything, car keys, house keys, license with address and everything. She complained to the cops who were not very eager to listen to her or help her. A crime that no crime solver rushes to solve.

Add to this she is getting married actually tomorrow and leaving the country afterwards for a 3 week trip. She was finishing up her last minute purchases and hence had pretty much all her cards with her. I shudder and can't imagine the stress she was under. This happened last Friday and at her surprise bridal shower yesteday she seemed to have taken it stride and dealt with it. Here's Wishing her a Very Happy Married Life.

I am not really sure what one can do to be more careful. But keeping an inventory of what is in the wallet might certainly come in handy. Only when I found the wallet and opened it to see what is in there did I realize the number of different cards that are in there.

Note down the card numbers and the phone numbers to call. The first thing these card companies or banks ask for is the credit card numbers yes of the card you are calling to report. Are we supposed to remember these and have them at our finger tips? To be fair after I got past that the process was hassle free and I got my new cards within the week.

Have you been in a similar and do you have any tips to deal with such a situation?


Frozen thawed drumsticks


Moving on to the recipe,
Getting fresh drumsticks back home was not that big of a deal and they are available throughout the year. But here I make do with frozen drumsticks. In all fairness I do not miss the fresh ones. Even if I see fresh ones I do not bother to buy them. They are usually dry and wonder how long they sit out. Fresh or frozen this recipe works magic on either kind.



Recipe Source: Sukham Ayu

Gravied Drumsticks
Ingredients
1. 2 -3 cups of chopped drumsticks
2. 1/4 cup of cooked peas (dried peas soaked, my addition)
3. 1/4 cup of chopped red onion (optional, not in original recipes)
4. 1 cup of tamarind pulp from a small lime size piece of tamarind
5. 3-4 garlic cloves crushed
6. 1/2 tbsp of red chili powder (I used 1/2 tbsp red chili powder and 1/2 tbsp of Kashmiri chili powder)
7. 1 tsp turmeric powder
7. seasonings: cumin, mustard seeds, a tiny bit of asfoetida and curry leaves
9. 1 tsp oil (recipe called for ghee)
10. 1/2 tbsp jaggery (optional, my addition)

Method
1. In a kadai, heat oil and when hot add the seasonings, when the mustard starts to pop add in the onion and saute till translucent. add in the garlic and saute for a minute.
2. Add in the chopped drumsticks, add a quarter cup of water, cover with a lid and cook till the drumsticks are cooked.
3. Now add the turmeric powder, chili powder and mix it in well.
4. Add the tamarind pulp and another 1/2 cup of water and let it cook till the raw smell is gone completely.
5. Add salt and the jaggery, check for taste and add more chili powder if required. Turn off when desired consistency has been reached.

Serve with rice, dal and yogurt.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Indian Kitchen Utensils - 101 - Saute Pan or Wok or Kadai

Writings about Indian cooking as we all know primarily deals with the spices, flavors and the cooking techniques. What gets short shrift but is an equally important aspect of the cooking process is the type of utensil used for making the recipe. When I started reading recipes and trying them out I came to the realization that the utensils used in the cooking process is as important as the technique.



This series is a small effort to set people interested in Indian cooking in the right direction regarding the types of purchase to make.



Today I will introduce, not that it needs introduction the Indian style saute pan.

Vada Satti as we say in our house in Tamil or Kadai in Hindi or a skillet or saute pan in English is a wide mouthed pan with a slightly deeper center allowing easy evaporation of the moisture. This is an essential utensil in the Indian kitchen and its utility is endless. Roasting, pickling, sauteing, deep frying all are done in this vessel. Some of these come with handles on either side.



Whenever a recipe requires sauteing this is the pan I turn to. If the sauteing/roasting has to be done for a longer time a non-stick pan might work out better and faster. I prefer the kadai made with hard aluminum or iron to the ones made of stainless vessel. Stainless steel requires using liberal amounts of oil as food tends to stick easily.




Saute pans or kadai these days are made with non-stick surfaces or are hard anodized on which food tends to stick less. Using non-stick pans comes with its own set of problems. The peeling surface, the overheating chemical reaction problems etc., Do the research and find one that works best.


anodized saute pan

Kadai is the first one to be showcased because I consider it an essential in any Indian Kitchen. If a kadai or a wok is hard to find not to despair, a flat bottomed saute pan will work well as a substitute.


stainless steel saute pan with copper bottom with handle


Cooks and readers do you have a favorite Saute Pan?

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Garden 2012

I have not been that diligent in the gardening department this year. I did not start any seeds indoors. I just sowed them directly in the pots outside.


This plant survived the winter.


Moreover my favorite spring starter Chard leaves where already sprouting when I was ready to sow some seeds. The winter has been mild enough that the ones from last year did not die off.



I just added a few more seeds and they have been growing good. If you are being reluctant about growing try Swiss Chard they are very forgiving and they keep giving back starting May through October.

The new growth.



The gooseberry bushes planted couple of years ago as tiny 6 inch seedlings are bearing fruit.




Can you spot the berries?



These are pretty bushes too!




Read my prior years Garden Triumphs and Failures by clicking here.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Homestyle quick Fish Curry

Saw this really good movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel on Tuesday with a friend. The movie is about a group of British retirees on vacation to India staying in a hotel that is not what it is advertised to be. Well how would you have a movie otherwise!

The movie portrays quite correctly how foreigners take to India. They either love the place and go with the flow or hate it on sight - the crowds, the in your face, the dirt, the noise everything. For some the smiling faces, the vivid colors, the food, the constant excitement all make up for those other things that cannot be controlled. With some fantastic acting from some of the best British actors and actresses time passes quickly and pleasurably.

There were some scenes that were hard to believe like the young couple french kissing on the street, really has India rattled along that fast? I have been away from India too long but I certainly do not believe that is common on Indian streets. Other than a couple of scenes with the youngsters there were no exaggerations which was truly a relief. Some of the stuff we Indians do is truly hilarious in the eyes of a Westerner for sure. At least when it is shown in the movie it is.

Not to forget the movie is about how these retirees traveling reinvent or discover themselves during the vacation. A nice movie to watch.

The friend who accompanied was not Indian loved the movie. I wouldn't say I loved it but I am glad I watched it. She wants to visit Indian and spend a considerable amount of time there. But then again she loves everything Indian so not an impartial judge. I just felt homesick when a shot showed Jaipur early in the morning. That is the time I best love back home. Quiet and sleepy when the hustle and bustle has not started.


Those of you who want to impress your mothers, here is a quick and easy recipe that is sure to please.




Homestyle Quick Fish Curry
Ingredients
1. 4 filets of Tilapia (about 1 lb) cut into 2 inch pieces (any fish can be used really)
2. 1 cup of red onion cut lengthwise
3. 5-6 garlic cloves sliced
4. 1 tbsp of ginger grated
5. tamarind pulp from a small lime sized ball of tamarind (or 1 tbsp tamarind paste ) about 1 cup
6. 1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes
7. 1/2 tbsp - 1 tbsp chilli powder
8. 1 tsp of turmeric powder
9. 2 tsp of roasted methi (fenugreek) seeds powder
10. salt to taste
11. seasonings: mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves
12. 1 tsp of oil

Method
1. Rub the fish pieces with chili powder and salt and set aside
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the seasonings followed by the chopped onions and saute till the onions are translucent.
3. Add in the garlic and ginger and saute till the raw ginger smell is gone.
4. Add the turmeric powder and chili powder and mix it into the onions.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till the tomatoes are mushy.
6. Now add the tamarind pulp along with another half cup of water. Let it come to a boil. Add salt. (about 8-10 minutes)
7. Slide in the fish pieces, do not push them around too much. Let cook for another
10 minutes or so. Turn off the heat when the fish pieces are cooked and the gravy has become thick. Add in the fenugreek powder when you are ready to turn off the heat.

Tastes best when paired with rice.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Snow Peas and Pinto Beans Curry

During spring and early summer these snow peas are everywhere. I bought these in our Amish market. They taste great when lightly sauteed in some olive oil, salt and pepper. They are also good in this shrimp stir fry or fried rice.




I had a big bag and wanted a side for either rice or chapthis. This is a quick and easy curry for a weeknight meal. I had some soaked pinto beans which went into the snow peas. Substitute pinto with green Peas or any other beans.





Snow Peas and Pinto Beans Curry
Ingredients
1. 2 Cups of snow peas chopped into 1 inch piece or just leave whole
2. 1 cup of cooked pinto beans
3. 1/2 cup of chopped onions
4. 1 tomato finely chopped
5. 1 tbsp masala powder (any kind)
6. 2 tsp of chili powder
7. 1 tsp of turmeric powder
8. 3-4 tbsp of ground masala paste
9. seasonings: cumin and mustard seeds
10. salt to taste + 2 tsp of oil

Masala Paste
1. 1/4 onion chopped
2. 2 cloves garlic
3. 1/2 inch piece of ginger
saute and blend to a paste

Method
1. In a pan heat the oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter add the onions and saute till they are translucent.
2. Add in the beans and saute for a couple of minutes.
3. Add all the powders and give a good mix. Add in the tomatoes and let the whole thing cook in medium flame till the tomatoes are mashed a bit.
4. Now add the blended masala, cooked pinto beans and about 1 1/2 cups of water.
5. Let come to a boil, add salt and turn off the heat about 10-12 minutes.

Serve with chapathis but tastes best over rice.

Note
1. Do not overcook the beans, the peas should maintain their crunch.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Everyday Snacks!

Like most Indian kids I grew up snacking a lot. My snacking habit was helped along by my maternal grandmother's cooking skills. She still makes those snacks though well into her 80s, active and cooking as she was 40 years ago. Those days she not only made them but packed them for her daughters which would be my mom and aunt and hence our constant supply of snacks. When we visited the village murukkus and gulab jamuns were always there in her snack cupboard.


Roasted Chickpeas

As if grandmother's snacks were not enough we had a Nilgiris(Cakes and pastries, puffs) where we satisfied our cake cravings. We were also regular customers at Agarwal Sweets and Snacks(Samosas, Pakodas, mixtures) which had the best samosas ever and crunchy onion pakodas.

It was a time when buying snacks was not a everyday affair and most pre-made snacks were considered to be made with bad oil and not healthy. Hence the snacking was on predominantly home made snacks.

Fast forward to here, as sweet, salt, spicy - snacks in any form were acceptable to me and I did not discriminate much I had a several different snacks to choose from. I was young, weight or health were not on my mind. And moreover I was naive about the stuff that went into making these snacks. No one need spend time making snacks when you had a gizzillion of them available to choose from all cheap and easy. Making Indian snacks were time consuming and not easy or fun and first I had to get familiar with cooking so buying junk just happened.

I have a sedentary job that makes matters worse. I snack when hunger hit mid morning and couple of hours after lunch. Rushing to the vending machine or carrying the same chips and cookies with me and snacked on them. I slowly (the dud that I am) realized this was becoming the Achilles heel aiding in my middle and butt expansion.


Roasted Asparagus

The kids were starting to snack on very same stuff. Not that they insisted on them it is just that they were readily available. I realized I had to do a few things that will fix this problem. Moreover the kids are very active and if they did not get proper nutrition they were going to end up with malnutrition is what goaded me into action.


Pinto beans Sundal


Taught DD how she can quickly grill vegetables like asparagus, Zucchini, broccoli or sweet potato and she realized that they tasted a lot better than simply par boiling them. Sundal which is sauteed beans in some mild spices is a very good snack which is quite filling.

I am very reluctant to use the word healthy because every single thing we eat doesn't have to be healthy but the least it has to be real food.

Here a few snack ideas.

Carry along snacks
1. Cut Carrots and cucumbers
2. Roasted chick peas
3. Roasted Green Peas
4. Sundal
5. Cut Fruit Slices

Quick Evening snacks
6. Grilled Vegetables (asparagus, Zucchini, broccoli, sweet potato)
7. Sliced bread sprinkled with cheese and toasted
8. Bread/chapathi/torilla - spread with sliced cheese and toasted till the cheese melts.
9. Boiled tapioca, sweet potato, potato - boil slice and sprinkle with some salt and pepper and toasted for a few minutes


Red Kidney Beans Sundal

Red Kidney/Pinto Beans Sundal
Ingredients
1. 1 cup of dry Red Kidney Beans/Pinto Beans (soaked overnight)
2. 1/4 cup of chopped onion (any kind) or shallots
3. 1 1/2 tbsp of grated coconut (fresh or frozen)
4. seasonings: 1/2 tbsp split urad dal (white dal), mustard seeds and curry leaves
5. 6-8 broken red chilies
5. Salt to taste
6. 1 tsp of oil

Method
1. Cook the beans on the stove top till soft. Take care to keep the beans whole. Drain and set aside.(see Note)
2. In a wide mouthed pan heat the oil, add the urad dal and when it starts to brown add the mustard seeds and when it starts to pop add the curry leaves and red chilies.
3. Add the cooked beans and salt and saute for a few minutes.
4. Add the grated coconut towards the end and turn off the heat.

Note:
1. The beans can be cooked in the pressure cooker but it is hard to turn off at the right time. Soaked beans cook pretty fast on the stove top (about 20-25 minutes).


Ready to Roast

Roasted Asparagus
Ingredients
1. 15 stalks of asparagus
2. salt and red chili powder/ black pepper
3. oil spray or 1 tsp of olive oil

Method
1. Mix the salt and red chili powder and sprinkle them on the asparagus. Add a few drops of the oil and mix it into the asparagus.
2. Spread them on a tray and roast them in the toaster oven for 10-15 minutes.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Roasted Eggplant Curry (Sutta kathrikai kuzhambu)

I have always wondered and watched with fascination the ability of women who are able to walk in high heel shoes elegantly without any effort. I might end with broken bones or ankles but won't be able to pull off that feat. The truth is I have never tried and probably never will. You need a certain amount of guts for that don't you?



It has escaped me why anybody would put themselves through such obvious discomfort. A tiny doubting voice in my brain however said that those high heels shoes could be comfortable for certain folks.

Those doubts about the discomfort were put to rest when I caught the tail end of an interview with Chritian Louboutin on NPR. Apparently he is a French footwear designer whose shoes on a simple google search revealed themselves to be close to $1000! That is a lot of money for a shoe whose main objective is not comfort.
Anyway he said he is not designing heels to be comfortable and that a 5 inch heels is not meant to be comfortable. When the interviewer questioned him about the discomfort factor he said that men too wear certain clothing that are uncomfortable like ties for instance. So if comfort and not looks were the most important thing men should be wearing pajamas and women should wear flip-flops or sneakers and not heels.

As for me I am happy the issue of comfort has been put to rest. I'll stick to my comfortable flats and sneakers for now.



Alright let me put aside the shoe talk and move on to the recipe. In my grandparents house the roasting of the eggplants was done over hot coals back in the day when firewood was used for cooking. These days the roasting is done straight on the stove top. Perhaps another reason why this recipe is not done often.

I found some good looking eggplants and this recipe was what came to my mind. A tiny bit of patience is required because it is best when the eggplant is completely cooked while roasting




Roasted Eggplants Curry (Sutta kathrikai kuzhambu)
Ingredients
1. 3 Medium sized eggplants
2. 1/2 cup chopped red onions
3. 7-8 slit green chilies
4. 1/4 cup of tamarind juice from a small grape sized piece of tamarind (optional)
5. seasonings: mustard seeds and cumin
6. salt to taste
7. 1/2 tsp oil

Method
1. Wash and dry the eggplant and thread them through a skewer. Place the skewered eggplant on the burner in medium flame and roast. The skin will start to turn black and charred. Cook on all sides. Repeat for each eggplant.
2. Place the roasted eggplants wrapped in a kitchen towel for 10-15 minutes. Once cool the skin should peel off pretty easily.
3. Once peeled chop the eggplant into dices and set aside.
4. In a pan heat oil and add seasonings and when the mustard starts to pop add the green chilies and chopped onion. Saute the onions till they are translucent.
5. Add the chopped eggplants and salt and mix it into the onions.
6. Add the tamarind if using and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. Mix and mash the eggplants with the back of the laddle.

Turn off the heat. Serve with rice.