Baingan Ki Chutney/ Brinjal/Eggplant Dip

Brinjal/Eggplant/Baingan Chutney is spicy and tangy brinjal chutney is something different from regular coriander chutney. It makes a good accompaniment with all most everything. For all those who do not like brinjal/baigan much, do try this version of eggplant and I am sure you will never deny having baingan again. This is my Mom's recipe (this was the way how I started liking and eating brinjal)!!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 Onion chopped
• 7 to 8 Curry leaves
• 4 Brinjals / small eggplants
• 4 Tomatoes
• 2 slit Green Chillies
• 1 tbsp Red chilli powder
• 1 cup Coriander leaves
• 2 tsp Tamarind pulp

Method:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds and onion, cook until onions becomes soft.
• Add curry leaves, brinjal and cook for a minute.
• Then add in tomatoes, mix and cook for another minute.
• Add slit green chillies, chilli powder, salt,coriander leaves, tamarind paste and water; mix well.
• Cook until 2 whistles, wait until all pressure releases.
• Mash all of them together to make it look like chutney
• Now cook chutney uncovered suitable to your desired consistency.

Serve hot with bread or rice.

Mutter Paratha/ Stuffed Peas Bread

Stuffed Paranthas taste much better than the usual paranthas. You will definitely like the unique taste of Stuffed Green Pea(Matar) Parantha. These are very good for summer picnics- we are lucky to have frozen peas even in summers.

Ingredients:

For dough:

Wheat flour -2 cups

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt - add to taste (3/4 tsp)

Stuffing:

Green peas -1 cup

Salt  to taste

Green chillies - 2

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Red chilly powder - 2tsp

Coriander (dhaniya) powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 1 tbsp(finely chopped)

Method:

1. Put flour in a bowl, put salt and oil then mix. Knead a soft dough using warm water.
2. Cover the dough and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
3. Boil peas till they become a little soft, remove the water, grind peas into a coarse paste after they cool .
4. Wash green chillies, break off their stems then finely chop them. Peel then grate ginger too.
5. Add green chillies, ginger, red chilli powder, coriander powder and coriander leaves to the pea paste then mix properly.
6. Place pan/tawa on gas and heat. Break off small lemon sized pieces from the dough, make them round. Put dry flour on 1 ball and roll it into a parantha(puri size), apply little oil to this puri, now put 1 1/2 tsp pea stuffing on it. Wrap up the parantha and close all open ends, place it between both palms and press gently to expand the parantha a bit.
7. Coat with dry flour and roll it again into a parantha .
8. Put rolled parantha on hot pan, apply oil on both sides, turn over time to time and cook till both sides turn brown.

Serve hot with raita chutneys or dips.