Brinjal (Baigan) Jhol curry.

Brinjal Jhol:

It is simplest curry without much spices. It can be used during fastning when we do consider to eat one time without onion and garlic. This is one of my mother recipe which I like from my childhood. This will go best with puri or phulka.

Serving - 3

Ingredients:

Small or long seedless brinjal (baigan) - 5
Patato - 2 big
Tomatoes (use desi) - 4
Peas - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 1
Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Heeng (Asafoetida) powder - 1/4 tsp
Dhaniya (Coriander) powder - 1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp or as per taste.
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (or as per taste)
Amchur - 1/2 tsp (if you are not using desi tomatos)

Preparation time : 30 mins

1. Cut baigan and potatoes in small pieces and soak them into water. Cut tamatos in small pieces.

2. Add peas also into the water.

3. Put some oil into fry-pan once it is fully heated, add heeng and methi seeds. Note** don't leave methi seeds for long in oil otherwise it will bitter the taste. Drain out all water from the soaked vegitables (potatoes, baigan and peas). Put into fry pan when methi is done (just after 5-6 secs).

4. Mix well all the vegitables see all have atleast one coating of oil. Now add salt. If you have enough oil (or excess oil which is good enough for boil the vegitables) then cover the fry pan with the lid otherwise add some water and then cover the fry pan with lid. leave fry pan at medium temp. Check after 10 mins if Potatos are ready. take out one potato peice and taste it check for salt also.

5. Once potatos are ready then add tumric powder, dhaniya powder, chilli powder and green chili. Mix it well and wait for 2 mins. Now add tomatoes and mix it well. If you want to increase the water you can increase it now and cover the pan with Lid cook it for 15 mins. Check in between if water dries out add some water. At last add amchur (if not using desi tomatos) cook for another 1-2 mins then your curry is ready.

Eat it with puri or phula you will definately eat like a pig.

Phara - My mother recipe

Phara : Soft wheat dumplings (stuffed with veg, stuffed with jagri and plain) dipped in Lentil.

Preparation time: 1hrs 30min.
Serving: 4


1. Veg filling for dumplings : Take following vegetables carrots (4 large) , potatoes(2), cabbage(0.25,1/4th), cauliflower(0.24,1/4) and spinach(100g). You can take any other vegetables as per your choice for filling. I would grate carrots, cabbage and and cut other vegitables in very small peices. Prepare it as normal sabzi. Put some oil in fry pan, add zeera ones heated, now add spices (turmeric powder(1tsp), coriander powder(2 tsp), salt as per taste), add all vegitables. Fry it till it dry and brown, now add amchur 1 tsp and garam masals 1/4 tsp. Mix it very well, and keep it aside till it become cold.

2. Prepare wheat flour dough as same as for roti or puri. Roll dough to small roti, add some veg fillings and fold it like "gujiya". Wet the corners and fold it, keep it aside. Make it around 8-10 and cover it with wet cotton cloth.

3. Use same dough and add some jagri and flod like Gujiya. Fold it differently so that you can distinguse between sweet and veg dumpilngs. Make it around 4-6.

4. Make some roti (not cooked) from the dough, make it around 8-10.

5. For Making Dal: Soacked Chana dal (1 cup) and Arhar dal (1 cup), mix it and boil it in pressure cooker. Make is just like normal tadka dal but keep it more water. We used to add temrid, and chilli. Also we do tadka with musterd seeds.

6. Once Dal is ready, while it is boiling put all dumplings and rotis in the dal. And boil it for 10-15 mins while they becom soft.

7. Serve it hot and put some ghee. Many people don't like spicy so I make special tadka of ghee and chill and put on the top of it and mix it.