Indian eggplant is a cute little eggplant the shape and size of a small egg, deep purple color. Alaka got a dozen of them, we stuffed them with a mix made of grated peanuts and spices, and cooked with some water added to make a sauce. Here is a catch: Alaka uses her own goda masala spice blend, that she brought from home, and I don't have the recipe for it. She promised to email me the recipe after she gets back home and gets it out of her files. For now, we tried to find an Indian store that carries this wonderfully aromatic blend of warm spices, and we failed so far... So here is the partial recipe, pending the recipe for goda masala to follow next month:
Stuffed Indian eggplant
Serves four to six
12 Indian eggplants, leaves removed
1 cup roasted peanuts, ground in a blender or food processor
1-1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp goda masala
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp jaggery (raw sugar)
Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Cut eggplants crosswise into quarters, leaving the stem ends attached. Make the stuffing: mix ground peanuts, ground coriander, ground cumin, goda masala, and salt. Open each eggplant like a flower, and put a little of the stuffing inside. Press closed.
In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and heat until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, and onion. Brown lightly. Add stuffed eggplants, water, and leftover stuffing, season with jaggery. Cover and cook until the eggplants are very tender and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Bottle gourd, or white gourd resembles a large pale zucchini. The simple preparation that we did is very characteristic of Alaka's style of Indian cooking, and can be used with other vegetables as well. It starts with making tadka, the traditional flavor base of brown mustard seed, cumin, and turmeric. Then the vegetable is seasoned and cooked until tender.
Indian white gourd
Serves four
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 white (bottle) gourds, cut into small dice
1 cup water
2 tsp goda masala
Salt to taste
2 Tbsp jaggery, or to taste
Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, heat until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, gourd, water, goda masala, season with salt and jaggery. Cover and cook until the gourd is very tender. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro.
Bitter melon. This one is really, seriously bitter. They say it's very good for you, and can be addictive. This recipe balances the bitterness with the heat of the chili and the sweetness of the raw sugar, which makes for a very strong and complex taste. It's more like a condiment than a dish. It's traditionally eaten with roti.
4 small bitter melons
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp jaggery (raw sugar)
Cut the ends off the bitter melons. Cut them in halves lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Chop into 1/4-inch pieces.
Make tadka: heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds, heat until the mustard seeds start to pop. Add cumin seeds and turmeric.
Add the bitter melon, chili powder, and salt. Stir-fry until the bitter melon is tender and begins to brown, about 10 minutes.
In a mortar, break down jaggery into very small pieces. Add jaggery to the skillet, stir, and let it coat the bitter melon and caramelize.
Menu today:
Curried carrot soup
Stuffed Indian eggplant
White rice
Pacific snapper with mango-tomatillo salsa
Bean salad
Scallops with feta and spinach
Roasted butternut squash
Mushroom and asparagus frittata
Heirloom tomato salad Caprese
Chicken roasted with fennel and apples
Fennel gratin
Indian bottle gourd
Bitter melon
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Location:San Francisco, CA
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