Straightforward Baingan ka Bharta

This recipe is not mine and there is no improvisation but is the most basic one.

It requires very less ingredients and time to get this orgasmic dish done.

So let’s start

Serves: 2

Ingredients:-

• — 2 Medium Sized Baingan/Aubergine/Eggplant/Brinjal whatever you call it, whole.
• — 2 medium sized onions sliced
• — 3 Medium sized tomatoes diced
• — Green chillies chopped
• — 5-6 cloves of garlic minced
• — tsp. cumin Seeds
• — 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• — 1 tbsp. coriander-cumin seed powder
• — 1/2 tsp. garam masala
• — Salt to taste
• — 2 tbsp. chopped coriander for the garnish
• — Little Ghee
• — Little oil for greasing the eggplant

1. Apply oil on Eggplant surface and put it on flame till you start getting burnt smell as shown below, you can roast it in the microwave also but what’s fun in that! Burnt smell is important, that's sets the base of the aroma for this dish.

              

2. Once roasted, keep the eggplants aside and let it cool down. Peel the outer layer, since we applied the oil, it should come out easily. Don't worry too much if bits and pieces stay behind.

                          

3. Mash the eggplant and keep it aside.

4. Heat the oil in the wok and add oil 

5. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds.

6. When they crackle add the onions and sauté till they turn golden brown.

7. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and sauté for a few more seconds.

8. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander-cumin seeds powder and cook till the mixture leaves oil/ghee.

9. Add the mashed Eggplant, garam masala and salt, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

10. Serve hot garnished with coriander.

Maggie – Stir Fry Style

Hi friends, who does not love Maggie aka Ramen. I think that this is the most versatile food when it comes to a lonely night. Its easy to make and takes no time. But have you ever wondered how you can give it a little twist to it and it can boost the flavours beyond your imagination. I have about 7-8 Maggie recipes but let me start with the most regular one that I follow,

Serves:- 1

Ingredients:-

-- 1 Pack of Maggie or any Ramen Noodle

-- 2 tablespoon Oil

-- Vegetables for Stir-Fry (Mushrooms, Broccoli, Red/Yellow/Green bell pepper, Carrot, Onion, Spring Onions, Tomato, Garlic etc. go crazy with your imagination)

-- Soy Sauce

-- Vinegar

1. Heat the Wok/Pan and add Oil

2. Once Oil is hot add hard vegetables first and keep stirring them on high heat, we want them to get cooked but do not let them get burnt.

3. Once half way through, add rest of the vegetables and stir fry for 30 more seconds.

4. Now here you can modify your recipe and it can give you two different results.

a. Either can cook these vegetables with Maggie, skip steps 5 & 7

b. Or, you can cook Maggie separately and mix it with Stir-Fry vegetables later

5. I like to separate them and mix later, so lets take the veggies out of the Wok and add water to the Wok.

6. Add Broth mix/Masala, Soy Sauce and Vinegar, stir well, add Maggie and cook for a minute.

7. When almost done, add Stir Fry Vegetables.

8. Mix well, Serve it and let me know how it was.

I have covered two methods here and will be back soon with more

Very Refreshing Mint & Tomato Sandwich

Making sandwich sometimes is a daunting task, from vegetable cutting till it getting grilled but what I am going to share today will change your life (The was bit of an overstatement :-)). This Mint & Tomato sandwich is not only refreshing but takes no time and require just 6 or less items, so lets jump into it.

The Ingredients:-

-- Bread

-- Fresh Mint leaves

-- Tomato cut in round slices

-- Salt

-- Freshly ground Pepper

-- Butter or Mayonnaise (I prefer Mayo because it tastes heavenly)

-- Minced Chilli (Optional)

Grill the breads in toaster while you do the preparation

Apply Mayonnaise on both the g rilled slices

Place Tomato slices, Mint and chilli

Season it with Salt and freshly ground pepper

Top it with the 2nd slice and cut it into 4 pieces

You are done, impress the Mrs. on a Sunday Morning ;-)

Creamy Mushroom Sauce Pasta

So the recipe I am going to demonstrate here is very very delicious and equally easy. It requires just 9-10 ingredients and take a very less time to cook. But the end result is what matters and if you do things right then you will be all praises in front of your guests.

So lets start

Serves: 2

Ingredients:-

-- Pasta (Fusilli works well with this but you can use almost anything)

-- 2 Cloves of Garlic Minced

-- Half Onion Diced

-- Half cup Diced Mushrooms

-- 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour (Maida)

-- 1 Cup Milk (Depends on the consistency of the sauce to your liking)

-- Salt to taste

-- Freshly ground Pepper

-- Butter

-- Chives (Optional)

-- 1 Chilli (Optional)

1. Keep pasta for boiling with a teaspoon of salt and oil. Boil till its almost cooked but not fully cooked.

2. Add oil to the pan

3. When oil is hot add Chillies, Garlic and Onions, sauté until onions are translucent

4. Add Butter and sauté for another 1 minutes

5. Add Mushrooms and sauté for 5-10 minutes on high flame until mushrooms are cooked

6. Add All purpose flour and cook for a minute or 2 so that flour does not give raw taste

7. Add Milk and keep stirring till all ingredients are combined

8. Add Salt, Pepper and Chives, mix well

9. Add more milk if you want not too thick gravy

Add Pasta and mix well to coat the pasta with sauce completely.

Serve and Grate cheese on top if you like.

Garnish with Mint Leaves