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Ingredients
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Quantity
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Aubergine (eggplant)
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1 large
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Vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
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3 tbsp
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Onion- finely chopped
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½ medium
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1 inch piece ginger – peeled and chopped
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1
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Garlic –peeled and chopped
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1 clove
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Fresh green chillies (deseeded and veined )
chopped
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1
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Black mustard seeds
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½ tsp
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Fennel seeds
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½ tsp
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Kalonjii (wild onion seeds)
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½ tsp
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Turmeric
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½ tsp
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Ground cumin seed
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½ tsp
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Tomato puree
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1 tsp
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Salt
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to taste
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Vegetable bhajees are cooked with very little sauce (but not to be
confused with the ubiquitous Onion Bhajee which is deep fried). The sauce and
spices coat the pieces of vegetable and so a bhajee would complement well a
main dish which has plenty of sauce. Remember to get your nose in the pot when
the seeds are frying. The smell is intoxicating!
* The quantity is up to you but I use 2 of the fleshy chillies you
get in supermarkets
Slice the aubergine across ways in 3/4 inch slices then cut each
slice into 4 so you end up with wedges of aubergine.
Put the aubergine wedges in a colander and sprinkle liberally with
salt. Place a saucer on top, put a weight on it and leave for 30 minutes.
Heat HALF the oil in a large heavy pan then add the chopped onion
and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high.
Add the mustard, fennel and kalonjii seeds, stir a little then
turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes.
IMPORTANT!! put your nose into the pan NOW and sniff deeply. The
smell is amazing!
Add the ginger, garlic and chiles, stir and cook for another 10
minutes on low heat stirring now and again to make sure nothing browns or
burns.
Add the turmeric and cumin and fry gently for a minute.
Add enough hot water to make a fluid mixture.
Add the tomato puree and blend in. Let the sauce cook gently while
you attend to the aubergine. But don't let the sauce go dry.
In a large heavy frying pan heat the other half of the oil over a
moderate heat. Add the aubegine wedges and stir fry until the wedges are coated
with oil. Then turn the heat to low and fry, stirring occasionally, for 10-15
minutes until they have taken on a brown speckled colour.
Take the aubergine pieces out of the pan and place on kitchen
paper to absorb some of the oil. Then put them into the pan and stir round to
cover them with the sauce.
Cook gently until the aubergine is cooked through (about 15-20
minutes). Stir from time to time but VERY gently with a metal spoon so as not
to break up the aubergine pieces. Add a small amount of hot water if the
mixture gets too dry. Serve.
