Baingan ka Bharta / Begun er Bhorta

 

Long weekend, four days of holidays at a stretch and vacation, break and trips are somehow synonymous.
Or so I thought when all I could hear was where are you going or did you get a room finally ... all around me. Or suggestions for places to stay on the outskirts of the city.
Pune does not have any dearth of places to visit or stay or spend a few days ... all within 50 or 60 kms radius. Raise the distance a little more and you will end up in some of the most beautiful beaches in the  country.

I had been wanting to plan a trip but this time B was not too keen. Considering we had just returned from Kolkata and he promptly falling ill, I realised it will take some more time to convince him that the two were not really related.
But what actually held us back was the weather. Pune had been unbelievably hot the past few weeks with the temperature climbing to 39 degrees. And what with its dry climate, romping around in the dry countrysides of Maharashtra was really not tempting enough.
Last year we had been to Mahabaleshwar, a hill staion,  around this time and found it hotter than Pune.
So I hope you get the drift.

And exactly one day into the holidays, the saying "there is a reason for everything" was proven true. For us. For me.
I fell ill with severe tonsillitis... thanks to all that cold water from the fridge, ice creams and sodas ... and high fever.
Today the fever has abated a little, the paracetamol has worked finally, and antibiotics are still on.
And while trying to force gooey stuff  nee food down my throat, I am spending my days dreaming of that Kolhapuri thali or fish thali that I would have been gorging on, had we been to the beach.

And while B has taken over the kitchen, I am making full use of the time to get my hands on the books I had got from Kolkata. Finally!

Since I cannot sit for long and type, I will let the photographs do the talking.
There is nothing much into a Baingan ka bharta actually.
It is a quick and easy dish, one of our most made dishes, usually for winter dinners.
Just roast the brinjal and temper it with some onions and spices. And you are done.


Need :

Big sized yet soft brinjal - 1
( Never buy a brinjal that feels tough, it should always be soft to touch yet heavy )
Mustard oil or any cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Onion - 1 big, chopped
Tomato - 1 big, chopped
Green chilles - chopped
Fresh coriander leaves - chopped
REd chilli powder - 1 tsp
Haldi / Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Dhaniya / Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Whole jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - to taste

How to :

Apply a little oil on the brinjal and roast it on direct flame, turning it once in a while to cook it well.
Remove , cool, peel and mash with a little salt.

Heat oil in a kadahi.
Add jeera + onions.
Fry on low heat till onions turn translucent.

Add the tomatoes + green chillies and fry till the tomatoes turn soft.

Now add the turmeric + red chillie powder + dhaniya powder.
Mix well.

Now add the mashed brinjal and mix well.
Check for salt and add if needed.
Add a pinch of sugar too.

Fry till everything mixes well and all water dries up.
Sprinkle fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with fluffy hot rotis.

Enjoy all !!