Aubergine sounds so much nicer, don't you think?
At any rate, I've been picking these tiny things by the basketful as two of my plants seem to be wilting away (odd watering, I suspect). Nevertheless they are quite tasty and great for a pan of curry.
By the way, having all the veggies for this dish, hand-picked from a short walk out the door, is, in a word,
amazing.
Baby Eggplant and Potato CurryHeat
3 Tb. ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add
1 medium onion, chopped, and
1/2 Tb. brown mustard seeds and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add to this
3 large tomatoes, chopped,
a pinch of turmeric, and
a bit of salt, and continue to cook another 3 minutes or so, until the tomatoes begin to break down and the onions get even softer. Then toss in roughly
2 1/2 C. of sliced baby eggplant and
2 1/2 C. of peeled, chopped potatoes. Stir in
1 tsp. of red chili powder,
1/2 tsp. garam masala,
1/2 tsp. sugar, and
1 tsp. ground coriander, and
2 C. water. Bring the curry to a simmer, then lower the heat and put the lid on. Cook, gently simmering, with the lid on for about 20 minutes, or until the eggplant and potatoes are cooked through. If too much liquid remains, remove the lid and increase the heat, simmering - almost boiling, to reduce the liquid.
Serve with fragrant basmati rice and cooling cucumber raita.
Quick Cucumber RaitaIn a medium bowl, stir together
1 C. Greek yogurt,
1 small minced garlic clove, 1
/2 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and minced,
a pinch of salt,
a pinch of ground cumin, and
1 tsp. of chopped fresh cilantro.
The truth is that, well, there really hasn't been much going on in the kitchen lately.
we're getting married in just a few weeks!
