Bittersweet Baingan: Green Eggplant with Cashews and Jaggery

25 Oct

Bittersweet Baingan

Before I moved to south India, baingan (eggplant) was strongly linked in my mind with baingani – the color purple. Imagine my surprise when I first discovered that baingan could be green. Since then, my relationship with the green baingan has gone from misgivings to experimentation to understanding. I have discovered that this variety of eggplant takes a slightly shorter time to cook than its purple sibling, and that certain ingredients complement the green eggplant better.

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Mushroom Kasoori Methi

13 Oct

I was planning to make a simple dry mushroom dish today when sudden inspiration struck me and I added some kasoori methi to it. What a difference one surprise ingredient can make. This mushroom kasoori methi is the kind your guests will take a mouthful of and exclaim: “Amazing! What masala have you put in it?”

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Ridge Gourd Potato Curry with Poppy Seed Paste

28 Sep

This ridge gourd potato curry recipe was shared by a Bengali friend, who tells me the cuisine of that area uses poppy seeds abundantly. Given how well this curry turned out, I know this spice is going to become a regular in my pantry.

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Crispy Spicy Plantain Fry

23 Sep

Crispy Spicy Plantain Fry

In the mood for a crispy spicy side dish with your simple roti and dal? Here comes the perfect recipe for you – (raw banana) plantain fry. (more…)