Tuesday, January 24, 2012

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 ingredientsNow 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

25 comments:

  1. Wow...thats a lovely take on the traditional Baingan ka bharta!!! Now i want to rush out and buy some eggplants for dinner.....

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  2. Thats a yummy makeover. Kudos to ur huss.

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  3. சூப்பர்ர் காம்பினேஷன்,பார்க்கும் போதே சுவைக்க தோன்றுகிறது..

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  4. looks delicious and new recipe to me.............

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  5. That looks delightfully inviting!

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  6. I remember the warzone when my father used to enter the kitchen :D ! Delicious food but. My hubby cooks too but we do not end with the warzone thankfully.
    Yummy recipe here.

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  7. Simply yummy and delicious recipe . Wish I was there to get a taste of it.

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  8. Finally got to see ur revamped version of bharta. And I tell u this is one super keeper recipe. I too am so addicted to internet that even after going to bed and switching off the lights, I check internet on my mobile, too bad but this is how much we have got dependent on it.

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  9. Rich n creamy bhartha!When ever men cook, kitchen is almost a war zone! ;) But we have to adjust because of the taste of the dish! :P

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  10. Looks so good! Priya, I can imagine how happy you would have been back on the lap top!

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  11. Mouthwatering here, wat a terrific and super tempting dish,simply inviting..

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  12. so tempting recipe,baigan bhartha looks so inviting with fabulous pictures...
    thanks for linking it to the event..

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  13. Loved this new avatar of eggplant and cottage cheese.

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  14. Not a good idea to read this at 3 a.m. Priya,it is making me hungry!Hehe.Looks,and I am sure tastes very delicious as well!:-)
    Going to note down/bookmark this,have to make it for sure!I am a fan of Bharta,in fact,one of the best one I had in my life had some green peas added to it.With cottage cheese,I am sure it will be delicious!
    Thank you so much for sharing!:-)

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  15. super delicious and inviting !!

    Ongoing Event - CC-Chocolate Fest

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  16. for me baigan bhartha is also irrsistable! :) delicious clicks!

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  17. Hmmm...I have been trying to keep away from the internet too...but not totally. I think I should give it a try an stay away from the internet for a day..I'm sure lots of my pending work will also get done:)
    Bookmarking this yummy gravy.

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  18. Wow you are quite lucky to have such an adventurous chef along side! Baingan bharta in white gravy with paneer is truly a makeover ..nice for dinner parties!

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  19. Cashews and Garlic is a new addition to my Bharta Recipe,urs looks perfect and enticing...

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  20. Very nice recipe, looks good too!!!

    http://vegetarianmedley.blogspot.com/

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  21. Your hubby did a very good job with both the dish and photos :) Super delicious!

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