Showing posts with label
indian inspired
When my siblings and I were growing up in the mid eighties to early nineties-there wasn’t a place that served pizza within a 100 km radius (or greater). It was a novelty wondering what Pizza tasted like since it seemed so popular on American TV Shows. This inspired the creation of Amma’s Homemade Pizza recipe. Back then finding a recipe was not as easy as surfing the net-one had to rely on the word of mouth and off course local Newspapers – like The Post which provided readers with culinary inspiration.
Amma’s Fried Brinjal recipe was much like her batter for frying fish. It contained flour and spices. The Brinjal (Aubergines) were sliced into thin discs then coated in batter before being deep fried. Amma mostly made Fried Brinjal as a topping for her Veg Pizza.
How To Make Fried Brinjal
This recipe serves 2 using 1 aubergine. To make a larger quantity increase the ingredients proportionately.
Ingredients
How To Make Aubergine Bows
How To Make Fried Brinjal
This recipe serves 2 using 1 aubergine. To make a larger quantity increase the ingredients proportionately.
Ingredients
- (1 cup cake flour + ½ teaspoon baking powder ) or 1 cup self raising flour
- ½ cup pea flour (gram flour)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- Salt
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ tablespoon chilli powder (use desired limit)
- Oil for frying
- 2 large Brinjal (sliced thin)
Method
1. Sift the dry ingredients- this will help prevent the batter from having any lumps.
2. Add the beat egg to the milk.Combine then add to the dry ingredients.
2. Add the beat egg to the milk.Combine then add to the dry ingredients.
2. Stir to form a thick paste like consistency.
3. Slice Brinjal into thin discs. Pat dry with so that the batter sticks to the brinjal.
6. Immerse a few Brinjal slices into the batter then fry on medium heat until the batter browns slightly.
7. Drain off excess oil. Serve warm.
Healthy Alternative to Fried Brinjal
Delicious as they are I prefer ‘fried brinjal without flour and the excess oil. To make a healthier alternative to fried brinjal simply omit the flour and excess oil for frying. Instead place the Brinjal in a bowl then add spices and a teaspoon or two of oil (preferably olive oil). Pre-heat the oven. Place Brinjal slices on parchment/oven paper then bake for 30 minutes on 180 degrees.
If you have a fan function in your oven this works best. Cooking times may vary depending on oven types. It is best to keep a close eye on the brinjals so that they don’t burn. Turning the Brinjal helps cook them evenly.
Alternatively you could also toast them on a heated pan instead of using the oven. This works best when the Brinjal is sliced thin.
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| © 2011 l www.foodlikeammausedtomakeit.blogspot.com |
How to Serve Fried Brinjal?
Amma used fried Brinjal a topping on Veg Pizza, it can also be served in a salad.
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| © 2011 l www.foodlikeammausedtomakeit.blogspot.com |
To make Aubergine Salad you will need:
- A bunch of your favorite salad greens
- Fried Brinjal
- Diced cucumber
For the dressing:
- ½ red chilli chopped fine
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- ½ honey
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vinegar.
1. Place the salad greens in a bowl. Top with fried Brinjal slices.
2. Combine the honey, mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar. Mix until a uniform liquid is formed. Drizzle over the salad.
How To Make Aubergine Bows
To make Bows as I have for this salad - simply twist the aubergine slices to form bows
Growing up in an 'indian kitchen', meant all ingredients were 'currified'. In the context in which I grew up in all curry dishes were named by their main ingredient, example Mushroom Curry or Chicken Curry. Pasta was no different. Curry pasta was pasta in a curry sauce. Curry in our home meant braised onions, ginger and garlic, curry leaves and a combination of varying spices in it's basic form with added meat or vegetables. The addition of tomatoes varied from dish to dish. The base for Amma’s Curry pasta was essentially chutney, tomatoes, simmered in onion, sliced green pepper and chilli powder. She often made macaroni and cheese but like most Curry lovers this was not very popular with our father. Amma’s curry pasta was an attempt to remedy this. Apart from a Chutney like sauce she would also add sliced sausages or sometimes Vienna’s to macaroni or spaghetti. Similarly you could try adding spicy mince kebabs.
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| © 2011 l www.foodlikeammausedtomakeit.blogspot.com |
If you have read my previous post about Butternut Lentil Burgers you will know that I am in the process of cooking my way through an excess supply of butternut. I’ve now managed to store most in the freezer. This reminds me of Amma, whenever she had extra vegetables or after harvesting them from the back garden she would prepare them by pealing, shelling then chopping vegetables into tidy pieces for storage in the freezer. We used to have a chest freezer for that purpose. Unfortunately I don't have a lush vegetable garden like Amma used to so a combination fridge freezer serves me well.
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| © 2011 l www.foodlikeammausedtomakeit.blogspot.com |
