Around the World in 52 Weeks: Eggplant Bharta and Peas

I’ve been the worst world traveler ever. I got sick last month and I totally fell off the cooking wagon completely, so my kitchen travels suffered. Out of this sick month though, I did only miss two of the meals I was supposed to cook (Brunei and Isle of Man). In the next two weeks I’ll be doubling up and making sure I get back on track. This was the one resolution this year that I really didn’t want to fail at, so my cold that turned to a sinus infection will not defeat me!

I’ll also be posting my most recent traveling dish on the usual Saturday. I just wanted to get back on track a little here.

So this dish is Pudina Chicken and Eggplant Bharta and Peas. As I’ve said many times, Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. In facts, I actually have traveled to India.

It was truly one of the best experiences of my life. The only bad thing is that I got a little spoiled by good Indian food, authentic spices, fresh and delicious bananas, and even the lack of meat. I’m a little hesitant at home to make vegetarian Indian dishes because I feel like I need to use paneer, but I have no idea where to get that locally.

I know this meal is hardly authentic with the Pudina Chicken. When I was in India I didn’t eat chicken at all – everything was vegetable based or paneer based. Maybe I should have made a veg dish. Now I’m kicking myself. The pudina was good, but the bharta was better and is the recipe I’m sharing.

On another note, I’m always looking for ways to prepare vegetables I don’t like. Eggplant is that vegetable in this. I loved this preparation.

Eggplant Bharta and Peas
(source)

 Ingredients
1 eggplant
1/2 onion
1/2 cup frozen peas
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 lime
butter, as needed
oil, as needed
salt to taste

Directions

1.  Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise and spread with butter. Place the eggplants sliced-side down on a baking sheet. Roast the eggplants at 500 in the oven for about 30 minutes.

2. Place the onion, garlic, and jalapeno in a food processor and puree.

3. When the eggplant is finished roasting, use a spoon to scoop out the roasted innards. Discard the skin. Mash the eggplant until smooth.

4. In a medium saucepan heat some oil over medium-high heat and add the pureed vegetables and mustard powder. Cook until slightly browned.

5. Add the mashed eggplant and peas to the pan. Cook until warm, and then reduce temperature to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the peas are fully cooked.

6. Before serving squeeze in lime juice.

7. Serve over rice.

* serves 2

I’d like to see people travel the globe with me.
Every Saturday I will be posting my recipe, as well as pictures to ethnic cuisines you have made and want to share.

- You must mention The Law Student’s Cookbook‘s Around The World In 52 Weeks in the entry you link. You can either use a link or use the banner.
- In your post you must  at least mention what cuisine the dish is.
- Email me your recipe at elizabeth@crabtech.net. Make sure to include:

* Your name or blog name
* The direct link to your post
* A picture of the dish or permission to pull a picture from the post

- Make sure to email me by Saturday at 12noon Pacific Standard Time

Kidney Bean Curry

I bought this cookbook forever ago at Borders, when the store was still in existence, but for some reason the book got pushed somewhere and I never made anything out of it. I bought this book years ago, so I can’t believe it’s only now that I am getting around to making anything out of it. 

Indian food is hands down my favorite cuisine there is. I love trying new recipes, I love curries, I just love all the flavors that fill up every mouthful when I eat this delicious food. This is why I can’t believe I haven’t cooked out of this book. I am equally surprised I haven’t made anything out of this cookbook after trying the kidney bean curry. I usually make chicken curries of different variations. I have never made a bean curry (well, I have made chickpea curry).

I served this curry over rice. It would have been nice to have some naan as well.

Kidney Bean Curry

Ingredients
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 in piece fresh ginger root, grated
2 tbsp curry paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the cumin seeds for 2 minutes, until they begin to sputter. Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and ginger and fry for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and salt and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the beans and stir them in with the cilantro. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, adding water if necessary.

* serves 4
* 208 calories per serving
* This recipe comes from the Best Ever Indian Cookbook by Mridula Baljeka, Rafi Fernandez, Shehzad Husain, and Manisha Kanani.
* I am sharing this recipe with Cookbook Sundays at Couscous & Consciousness.

 

Chicken Biryani

If I could eat a particular cuisine of food forever, I would pick Indian in a heartbeat. Almost every time I see an Indian recipe I save it and try to make it later. I went to India several years ago and I can’t do the food justice. But I keep trying and trying.

But I know I’m never going to get it right because the ingredients here are just lacking. The flavors aren’t the same. I can’t get the same level of spiciness or the same flavor of spiciness.

Even the Indian restaurants around here just don’t have it right. There is one place I’ve been to in Sacramento that was better than most, but it’s still just not the same. I guess eating with utensils makes it not the same too, because eating the curries using only curry and your fingers is quite an experience itself. I don’t know how that’d go over though if I tried to eat like that in public.

Chicken Biryani

Ingredients
2 tsp canola oil
1 lb chicken breast
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup uncooked Basmati rice
1/3 cup raisins
14 oz chicken broth

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add onion and jalapeno; saute 3 minutes.

2. Add ginger, garam masala, cumin, salt, and garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add tomato, rice, raisins, and broth, bringing to a boil.

3. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, until rice is tender.

* serves 4
* 435 calories per serving