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Amrita loves to cook! Here's the proof in this delicious aubergine dish
Dahi Baingan
Ingredients
For the base
• 500 g large eggplant (bharta baingan), cut into roundels
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp oil
For the seasoned dahi (yogurt)
• 400 g dahi (yogurt)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chaat masala
For the tadka (tempering)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 5-6 curry leaves
For garnish
• red chilli powder
• freshly chopped coriander leaves
Method
In a mixing bowl, add the ginger-garlic paste along with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and mix together.
Now, marinate the baingan roundels with this marinade.
Heat just a dash of oil in a non-stick pan & place the marinated baingan in it. Cook till they are golden brown and slightly crispy on both sides. Do this till all the roundels are done, then transfer to a plate and let them cool down.
In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt and whisk till smooth.
Add sugar followed by salt & pepper, cumin powder & chaat masala. Whisk again till everything is incorporated well. Keep aside.
For the assembly
Arrange the prepared baingan in preferably a round glass dish and pour the seasoned yogurt over it.
Heat oil in a tempering (tadka) pan, add mustard seeds & curry leaves, let them splutter. Once done, pour it all over the yogurt.
Keep the dish in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle red chilli powder along with fresh coriander leaves as garnish.
Serve cold!
She is a treasure trove of traditional South Indian recipes. Rasam is her forte!
Pepper Garlic Rasam (Millagu Poondu Rasam)
Ingredients
• 1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 15 garlic cloves, peeled
• salt to taste
• jaggery for taste
• ghee
For the spice powder
• 1.5 tsp toor dal
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 8-10 garlic cloves, peeled
For tempering
• 1.5 tsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• a pinch of asafoetida
• 1 sprig curry leaves
Method
Heat a pan.
Dry roast the spices except for cumin seeds, till you get a nice aroma.
Allow it to cool and grind to a fine powder.
Now add the cumin seeds to this coarse powder and grind again for one pulse to a more coarse powder.
Keep aside.
In a cooking pot, add 4 cups of water to the tamarind extract.
Add asafoetida and salt and let it boil for 2 minutes.
Now, sauté the peeled garlic cloves in ghee. Cook till the cloves become soft.
Add these cooked garlic cloves to the tamarind water along with jaggery and let the broth cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the spice powder to the rasam and boil till it starts to froth.
Remove from the flame.
Heat ghee in a pan.
Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and dried red chillies.
Pour over the rasam.
Cover with the lid.