Cook Share and Feast

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
• 2 tablespoon oil

• ½ cup sliced onion
• 3 – 4 garlic cloves sliced
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 small potato peeled and cubed
• 2 cups water
• 1 medium tomato (tomatoes on the vine gives a very nice taste and aroma)
• 2 teaspoons Sri Lanka chili powder
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 strand curry leaves

Method

• Add oil to a sauce pan and add mustard seeds
• Once the mustard seeds start splattering add onion, garlic and fry until they are lightly golden
• Add fenugreek seed and fry for a minute
• Add potato and fry until the outside is lightly browned
• Add water
• Quarter tomato lengthwise and add to saucepan
• Add chili powder, salt and boil for about 15 minutes
• Add milk, curry leaves and boil for another 5 minutes on low flame

In Sri Lanka eggplant gravy is a common side dish consumed with rice, pittu or idiyappam.  Traditionally eggplants are deep fried and thick coconut milk is used in making this gravy.  Here, I have modified it into a healthier version. I have given the traditional version of this gravy far below.

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized purple/Japanese eggplant (about 6 oz)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 teaspoons canola oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
• ½ cup sliced onion
• 4 cloves garlic sliced lengthwise into two pieces
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seed
• 2 ¼ cups water
• 2 teaspoons Sri Lankan chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 strand curry leaves
• ¼ cup 2% milk

Method

• Preheat oven to 450° F
• Quarter eggplant lengthwise and chop them into 1 inch pieces
• In a baking sheet mix chopped eggplants and 1 tablespoon canola oil and bake for about 45 minutes
• In a covered saucepan add 3 teaspoons oil and add mustard seed
• Once the mustard seed start splattering add onion, garlic and fry until golden brown
• Add fenugreek seed and fry for about 30 seconds
• Add baked eggplants to the saucepan and add water, chili powder, salt, tamarind paste and boil in a medium flame for about 10 – 15 minutes
• Add curry leaves, milk and boil for another 2 – 3 minutes

For the traditional version

• Cut eggplants as mentioned above and deep fry them
• Deep fry onion and garlic until golden brown
• Take a spoonful of hot oil and add fenugreek seed and fry them in the spoon and drain the fenugreek seed
• Add all the fried ingredients, chili powder, salt, tamarind to a saucepan and add about 3 cups of very thin coconut milk and boil for about 5 minutes.
• Add ¼ cup of thick coconut milk, curry leaves and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes or until gravy is thick

Yields: 2 – 3 servings as a side dish

Ingredients

• 4 oz okra
• Oil for frying
• ½ cup sliced red onions
• 3 – 4 garlic cloves sliced into 2 or 3 pieces
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tomatoes quartered
• 1 ½ – 2 cups water
• ¼ cup milk or coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 strand curry leaves

Method

• The okras should be young, small and firm
• Wash okra and pat dry completely with a paper towel
• Once dry, add oil to a frying pan and shallow fry until okra start turning light brown
• Drain on paper towel
• In a saucepan add 1 tablespoon oil and add mustard seeds
• Once the mustard seeds start splattering, add onion, garlic and fry until onion is transparent
• Add fenugreek seeds and fry for another minute
• Add fried okra, quartered tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder to the saucepan and bring to a boil
• **If using coconut milk, add it and reduce flame to medium and boil for about 10 – 15 minutes.
• Add curry leaves and cook for another minute or two
• Serve warm with pittu

** if using normal milk, after boiling for 10 -15 minutes add milk with curry leaves and cook for another minute or 2

Yields: 2 – 3 servings as side dish