Spicy Chickpeas & Eggplant Curry

This curry combines simple flavours to make a great tasting dish. I had no idea eggplant could pair so well with chickpeas until I tried this dish.

You will need:

1 large Eggplant cubed
4 Tomatoes cubed
1 (8 oz) can Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) or 1 Cup soaked overnight and boiled
½ tsp Cumin powder
½ tsp Corriander powder
1 1/2 tsp Chilli powder (adjust to suit taste)
1 Onion chopped
2 Garlic cloves chopped
3 tbsp Olive oil

For the Garnish:
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion sliced
1 Garlic clove chopped
Sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro)

Heat the 3 tbsp Olive Oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic and onion, cook until soft. Add the spices and cook, stirring for a few seconds. Now add the cubed eggplant, stir and let cook till eggplant is soft. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas. Add ½ cup water and season with salt. Cover and and simmer for 15 minutes.

To make the garnish, heat oil in another pan and sauté the sliced onions and garlic. Fry until golden and crisp.

Serve the curry with hot rice, topped with the onion garnish and sprigs of cilantro. The onion garnish was out of this world, absolutely lip smacking!

Mom’s Pav Bhaji

The last time I made Pav bhaji was using the Pav Bhaji masala powder which is readily available. When I told my mom, she said, that’s not how I make it…we use our own masala. I was wondering why I hadn’t learned this one dish from mom yet. So this is mom’s version of the Bhaji in Pav Bhaji.

You will need:

4 Tomatoes
1 lb Potatoes (about ½ kg)
1 cup Green Peas (fresh/frozen)
2-3 Green Bell peppers finely chopped
2 Onions finely chopped
6-8 Green Chillies
4-5 pods of Garlic
½ stick Butter
½ Cup fresh Corriander, chopped

Dry Masala Powders:
1 tsp Cumin Powder
2 tsp Corriander Powder
1 tsp Red chilli powder
¼ tsp Amchur (Dried Mango) powder
¼ tsp Chaat Masala
A pinch Garam Masala powder

Salt to taste
Juice from 1 Lemon

Boil the potatoes, peel and grate. Set aside. Boil fresh/frozen peas, drain.

In a blender, puree the tomatoes, green chillies and garlic. Blend to make a smooth paste.

Heat 2 tbsp Butter in a pan. Add the chopped onions and bell peppers. Saute till onions are soft and translucent and the bell peppers are cooked through. Now add the puree and all the dry masala powders. Bring to a simmering boil on medium heat and let boil for 10 minutes. This helps bring all the flavours together. Add the grated potato and season with salt. Let boil for another 5 minutes and check for seasoning. Add water if the bhaji is too thick. Lastly add the the lemon juice and 2 more tbsp of Butter. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with buttered, toasted Pav.

I’m glad mom told me how to make this, I know I am not going to miss the instant Pav Bhaji masala anymore!