Charred Aubergine & Cottage Cheese in a White Gravy (Hubby Cooks & Clicks)

Last week when Wikipedia shut down for 24 hours under a self-imposed ban to protest SOPA, I read an article in one of the social readers as to what will happen If the Internet itself goes Kaput for a day? While it is really difficult to imagine such a situation, I did a small test on myself to see if I am immune to being online 24*7. 
It is not that I am addicted to the net or checking FB & Twitter status every second - more often than not the unscheduled power cuts & kids make sure that I stay away from computer. Still, the very thought of being totally cut was challenging  and I decided to stay off for a day but not before I paid all the bills/dues online ;)


It's nothing great that's what I told myself and started off on a positive note.While the first few hours went well with me getting friendly with newspapers & a few books which I have been meaning to read for quite some time, the fact that the net was out of reach made me long for surfing after some time. But truthfully, staying offline helped me  to finish so many work that had been pending for a while and the kids got more MUMMY time ! There was an ache to check mails & surf late in the day but managed to curtail those thoughts with some outdoor activity with kids.


The next day I was very glad to get back to my beloved laptop & getting connected all over again ! :D The self imposed ban made one thing clear - it is not entirely impossible to survive without being plugged (people have lived their life in the past without being perpetually on net), but it's more imperative to appreciate the resources availble & use them judiciously. Taking things for granted never pays.


Today's post has my favourite bharta getting a glamorous makeover. Hubby Dearest likes to don the apron every once in a while and experiment with the available ingredients. More often than not, the simple & routine dishes gets a glossy look with his magic touch. And he absolutely loves the fact that we go totally gaga over his culinary skills and is in a constant ache to WOW us.


Last week, he was early from work and decided to give the aubergine a different twist with a rich gravy & added cottage cheese to further pep it up.It was finger-licking good and my daughter, who was thrilled to see her favourite cheese in the gravy wiped her plate clean.


The fun part was seeing my hubby juggle the camera as well as the ingredients ; the kitchen resembled a war zone for those 40 minutes ~X(

The smoky eggplant & the cottage cheese spiced up was a yum treat !

Here's How :-

Wash the aubergine & pat dry. Grease it all around with  little oil and put it directly on the stove top @ medium flame. Let the eggplant char complete, constantly turning it all around, so that it is cooked from inside too.

Grind the Cashew nuts along with milk to a fine paste.Once the aubergine cools off, peel its skin & take of its crown. Mash it with a masher /fork & set aside.

In a pan/wok, add oil and as it warms, add the garlic and saute till the aroma of the . pods tickle you & then tip in the chopped green chillis, mint leaves and coriander leaves and saute for a few minutes. Then add the shallots and the onion and saute for a few minutes.

Spice up the mix with red chilli powder & garam masala. Saute till the raw smell goes away. Add the chopped tomatoes and let it cook till they are mushy.  Let the mix cook on a low-medium flame till the oil starts leaving sides.

Add the mashed eggplant and cook for a few minutes till the mix blends well with other ingredients. Now dunk the cashewnut paste and cook for a few minutes. Finally add the cottage cheese and give the mix a good swirl. Season it with salt as per taste.

Garnish with coriander leaves & take off flame. Serve hot..
Linking it to Vardhini's Dish it Out- Brinjal & Garlic ; hosted by Sangee