0 BAINGAN BHARTA OR SMOKY MASHED EGGPLANTS - A GUEST POST BY TANVI AT "SINFULLY SPICY"

Once again, I have the honor to share with you another guest post by a lovely blogger whom I hold in high regard and whose work I very much enjoy. This very special person is the delightful Tanvi of the very evocatively named blog "Sinfully Spicy".

This well-travelled native young woman hails from Dehli in India and now lives in USA's most fun city, Las Vegas. Besides baking, she loves to cook North Indian food in an instinctive manner and create fusion recipes influenced by her rich roots. Coming from a family of "super cooks", you'd think that she would also love to eat, yet weirdly it is absolutely not the case!

Tanvi is very talented both in her photography as well as in her cooking. There is absolutely no doubt about that. Being of Asian origin, she is naturally a spice addict and adores well-seasoned grub. Hence, blandness is a word which doesn't exist in her vocabulary.

This lady's experementative, healthy, colorful, fragrant, traditional, homely, yet elegant everyday style dishes are just exhalirating and amazingly scrumptious looking. Each creation is gracefully as well as attractively staged, the specialities are always accompanied by interesting information and her pictures are outstanding in their purity and apparent lack of fussiness. Visiting her blog is like taking a one way ticket to buoyant India. Wonderfully desorienting and so exotic.

Thank you so much Tanvi for consenting to write this marvelous post for me and accepting to be my host. Your "Baingan Bharta" rocks and as soon as eggplants are back in season, I'll try that lipsmacking speciality!

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It’s a great pleasure to be guest blogging for Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums today. She has one of the most encouraging & kind blogger around, whom I have been lucky enough to be friends with. Depth of her writing, beauty of her lens & her enthusiasm has always been inspiring.It was a pleasant surprise when she wrote to me for a guest post. Thanks so much Rosa for inviting me to your blog today.

I am here to share one of my favorite winter recipes with her wonderful readers today. There are some things in life,which take you back to your roots no matter where you are in the world! My grandmother used to roast vegetables & bread amongst glowing charcoal pieces of her angithi (traditional indian brazier) while she kept herself warm during harsh north indian winters.We used to flock the angithi as kids to feed ourselves. Sitting miles away, the aroma which fills the house while roasting eggplants for this dish is one of those things I look forward to in my kitchen . It’s a trip down memory-lane which nurtures my heart & soul with the spirit of those days.

"Baingan" is Hindi for eggplant & "Bharta" translates to any kind of mash. No points for guessing - this is mashed eggplant with spices. Its an easy recipe originally from rural north india where a chulla (clay/mud cooking stove) is used to roast the eggplants which are then peeled, mashed and combined with oil & spices. If done the traditional way i.e roasting the eggplant in heat from burning coal or wood,the taste of this dish is divine & most authentic. I think, open grilling is the best way to handle eggplant.

The key thing to keep in mind is that you need to char the eggplants to death. Don’t worry about them getting burnt or looking ugly, the peel will go away but before that, it has to make the flesh tender, concentrate the juices & sugars within & infuse the smokiness. Grills, broilers or stove tops work great to do the job, just be ready for a big time cleaning if you choose to use the stove top as I do J The second important thing to ensure is that even though this is a mash, the texture of the finished dish has to be chunky; hence all the ingredients (even spices), which go in, are either coarsely chopped or pounded. In all "Baingan Bharta" is chunky, smoky & spicy mash!

The dish is best served with flatbreads and a pickle /chutney / salad on side. You can serve it as a dip. I sometimes fill miniphyllo cups with bharta, top with some pepper jack cheese & bake to serve as appetizers. The ideas to eat are endless..just try your own way.

~ Baingan Bharta Or Smoky Mashed Eggplants ~
Recipe by Tanvi at "Sinfully Spicy".

Serves 2-3 people.

Ingredients:
1 Large eggplant (about 1lb)
1 Tsp Oil (for rubbing on the eggplant)
3 Tbs Mustard/olive oil
1 Cup chopped red onions
1 Inch Fresh ginger shoot, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 Thai green chilies, chopped (adjust to tolerance)
1.25 Cups Chopped tomatoes
1 Tsp Coriander seeds
3-4 Whole dry red chilies (adjust to tolerance)
1/2 Tsp Amchoor (dry mango powder)
1/2 Tsp Garam masala
Salt, to taste
1 Tsp Mustard/olive oil (for drizzle on top, optional)
Cilantro and green chilies chopped (for garnishing)

Directions:
Wash the eggplant and dry the skin with a cloth.
Rub1 tsp of oil all over.

Use any one of the following methods to char the eggplant:
1. This is what I do:
Heat your stovetop on high. Char the whole eggplant, turning with the use of tongs to char on all sides, until the skin has blackened & the flesh is soft. This will take about 20-22 minutes. Keep a watch while you do this.
2. Preheat a grill to medium heat; you can slit the eggplant into half, grill skin side up for 25-30 minutes. If you plan to use an oven, preheat broiler to 325° F (170° C) and roast the eggplant for about 15-20 minutes until skin is burnt & starts to peel off.

While the eggplant is roasting, pound the coriander seeds and dry red chilies using a mortar & pestle. Set aside.
Once the eggplant has charred, using tongs, transfer it to a plate and let cool down for about 15 minutes. Peel off the charred skin from the eggplant.You can remove seeds if you want. Using a fork, mash the flesh. Set aside.

Heat oil on high in a heavy bottomed pan. When the oil is almost smoky, reduce heat to medium & add the chopped onions. Sauté for about 6-7 minutes or till the onions are translucent but not browned. Next, add the chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies and sauté for 30 seconds or till you smell the aroma. Add the coriander & red chill mixture next and sauté for another 30 seconds. Next, add the chopped tomatoes, set the heat on high again and cook the tomatoes for 7-8 minutes until they soften (but do not mush) and you see oil separating on sides of the pan.
At this point, add the mashed eggplant and salt to taste. Combine everything together, set heat to low and let cook for 3-4 minutes. You will see that the color of the mash deepens & few oil bubbles on the surface as it cooks.

Remove from heat and while still hot, add the dry mango powder and garam masala. Mix well.

Garnish with loads of chopped cilantro, green chilies, drizzle with some raw mustard/olive oil and serve warm with naan/ chapati (flatbreads).
Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

0 SPICY CARROT & CHICKPEA TAGINE, LAROUSSE CUISINE BOOK REVIEW & THE FAIRY HOBMOTHER STRIKES AGAIN

Book Review:
"Tagines Et Couscous", Ghillie Basan (Editions Larousse)

Generally, I am someone who likes to get things done fast, because I hate to not put off to tomorrow what can be accomplished now. Yet sometimes, I can be quite a big procrastinator and suspend chores until a later time (next days, weeks or months) instead of taking care of business straight away.

Some months ago (at least 5 months ago), the Editions Larousse gracefully sent me a few of their new releases to review. Being a serious blogger, I carried out my assignement without delay and wrote lengthy posts about most of them. However, one single book was left aside. For some unknown reason and no matter how much I adore the subject it deals with, I never seemed to find the right moment to choose a recipe from it, put an article together, cook the dish and photograph it.

"Procrastination is like masturbation.
At first it feels good, but in the end you're only screwing yourself. "
- Author Unknown

Here's a confession. I am a perfectionist, I tend to take that task too seriously and put a lot of importance on delivering quality work, hence my refusal to get it done in a sloppy way and to dash the process. I guess that is why it took me ages to get my butt moving. Well, maybe...

I always promised myself to get the job finished by June as the cookbook contains lots of estival recipes using vegetables such as zucchinis, eggplants, bell peppers or tomatoes (I only buy seasonal and regional produces). Then, the summer holidays came and I felt that it would be waste of time if I blogged about this booklet while nobody is around or when everyone is too busy to read my critique. So, that is how I end up sharing with you my impressions on it only in October. Better later than never...

So, this Friday I have chosen to babble about "Tagines & Couscous" which is Ghillie Basan's smallish (144 pages long), but nonetheless extremely interesting publication which is a fabulous compound of scrumptious Moroccan tagine, coucous and side dish recipes (60 all in all).

Apart from being a restaurant critic and workshop host, this Scottish-based chef is also a cookery and travel journalist/writer whose articles appeared in magazines as well as newspapers (the Sunday Herald, Scotland on Sunday, BBC Good Food Magazine, TasteTurkey as well as Today’s Diet and Nutrition) and who has written a number of highly acclaimed books (over 20) about the traditional Middle-Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Ghillie Basan's book dispenses a wide variety of classic formulas for rich, hearty and aromatic meat (chicken, lamb, beef and duck), fish, seafood and vegetarian tagines (one-pots flavored with fragrant spices, cooked and served in heavy clay vessels called tagines which are generally painted and glazed - tagines are a dish as well as a piece of kitchenware), couscouses, sides (salads, ratatouilles and grilled vegetables), condiments (ras-el-hanout, harissa or preserved lemons) and desserts (melon or orange salads).

Her mouthwatering concoctions are delicious, colorful, spicy and authentic. Thanks to her easy to follow recipes, you'll be able to recreate an Oriental-style feast without trouble and in a matter of minutes as a majority of the casseroles demand less than 40 minutes of preparation. And you don't even need a the real vessel to cook them to perfection. As a mattrer of fact, you'll obtain the same results with a cast-iron pan.

The "Spicy Carrot & Chickpea Tagine" I am presenting today is just marvelously rustic, hearty and pungent. It is a quick, vegetarian, nourishing, versatile and refined cold weather meal that is common to areas of Morocco where meat is considered a luxury. It pairs really well with yoghurt and flatbread (check out my "Batbout M'Khamer" recipe). An excellent mezze item or main course!

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The Fairy Hobmother visited me and granted one of my wishes!
How cool is that?!

Many of you might have already heard about The Fairy Hobmother... For those who think that I've lost my marbles, watched too many fantasy films à la "Lords Of The Rings" and read quantities of epic novels, be reassured, everything is ok with me. I have not yet lost all my mental capacities and I am far from having taken any psychedelic drugs. No! I am just talking about someone who works with Appliances Online, an internet store which sells all sorts of home appliances ranging from cookers to washing machines. In his/her free time, he/she visits blogs and distributes out gifts (hand mixers, Amazon gift vouchers, washing machines, etc...) to individuals.

As you might have guessed by now, I am one of those happy few who got a visit from one of those good doers and was kindly offered a 50£ Amazon voucher! You can imagine how huge the grin on my face was when I received an e-mail annoucing me the news. I never would have thought that this could happen to me after visiting Angie's wonderful site. Incredible!

Well, dear readers, you can also be the next lucky one! Just leave a comment under this post, make a wish and cross your fingers. Who knows what will happen? In any case, I am pretty sure the Fairy is listening and is eager to fulfill your dream. Good Luck and many thanks to my kind Fairy Hobmother David!

~ Spicy Carrot & Chickpea Tagine With Turmeric And Cilantro ~

Adapted from "Tagines & Couscous" by Ghillie Basan.

Serves 2 (as a side dish).

Ingredients:
3 Tbs Olive oil
1 Onion, cut into half-moons
2 Cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 Tsp Ground turmeric
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper
1/4 Tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs Honey
3 Medium carrots, cut into thick slices (diagonally)
1 Can (400g) Chickpeas, drained
1 Tbs Rosewater
Fine sea salt, to taste
A small bunch cilantro, chopped finely
1/2 of An organic lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a tagine or heavy bottomed pan (cast iron), add the onion and garlic. Saute until soft and slightly browned.
2. Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, honey and carrots.
3. Pour in enough water to cover the carrots and cover with a lid. Cook gently for 10-15 minutes.
4. Toss in the chickpeas and check to make sure there's still enough water in the bottom of the tagine/pan, cover, and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Add the rosewater and season with salt.
6. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the cilantro over the top.
7. Serve with the lemon wedges

Comments:
The rosewater is optional, but highly recommended as it adds a very interesting flavor to the tagine.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with a dollop of thick yogurt and some flatbread ("Batbout M'Khamer"). You can also scoop some of that tagine over some rice, couscous or bulgur.

~ Tajine De Pois Chiches Et Carottes Au Curcuma Et A La Coriandre ~

Recette adaptée du livre "Tagine Et Couscous" par Ghillie Basan, Editions Larousse.

Pour 2 personnes (comme accompagnement).

Ingrédients:
3 CS d'Huile d'olive
1 Oignon, coupé en demi-lunes
2 Gousses d'ail, hachées finement
1 CC de Curcuma moulu
1 CC de Graines de cumin
1/2 CC de Cannelle moulue
1/4 CC De Poivre de Cayenne
1/4 CC de Poivre noir moulu
1 CS de Miel
3 Carottes moyennes, coupées en tranches épaisses (en diagonal)
1 Boîte (400g) de Pois chiches, égouttés
1 CS d'Eau de rose
Sel de mer, à volonté
1 Petit bouquet de coriandre, haché finement
1/2 Citron bio, coupé en quartiers

Méthode:
1. Faire chauffer l'huile dans un plat à tajine ou une cocotte à fond épais (émail), puis ajouter l'oignon et l'ail et faire revenir jusqu'à tendreté (ils doivent être légèrement dorés).
2. Ajouter le curcuma, le cumin, la cannelle, le poivre de cayenne, le poivre noir, le miel et les carottes.
3. Verser suffisamment d'eau afin de couvrir les carottes et refermer avec le couvercle. Cuire doucement pendant 10-15 minutes.
4. Ajouter les pois chiches et assurez-vous qu'il y ait encore assez d'eau dans le fond du tagine/de la cocotte. Refermer avec le couvercle et laisser cuire encore 5-10 minutes.
5. Ajouter l'eau de rose et assaisonner avec le sel.
6. Retirer le tajine du feu/la cocotte et saupoudrer avec la coriandre.
7. Servir avec les quartiers de citron.

Remarques:
L'ajout d'eau de rose n'est pas obligatoire, mais fortement recommandé car la saveur du plat s'en voit réhaussée.

Idées de présentation:
Servir avec un peu de yaourt épais et du pain plat ("Batbout M'Khamer"). Vous pouvez aussi servir ce tagine sur du riz, du couscous ou du boulghour.

0 CORNFLAKES TERRINE - TERRINE AUX CORNFLAKES

If like me you have abused a little to much of goodies during the Christmas holidays, then you might want to calm down and start eating more healthily again as I'm pretty sure that you are not willing to change your whole wardrobe or stop wearing those cute skinny jeans that you cherish so much because they make you look so slim...

I am not ashamed to confess that for the past 3-4 weeks I have been devouring (like crazy and without thinking about the effects such mindless scarfing might have on my waistline) big quantities of sugar-loaded, butter-rich, calorie-laden cookies, breads, chocolates, cakes and desserts of all kind. I carelessly and happily wolfed down quantities of sweet treats, and had much pleasure indulging in such a naughty fashion!

When the God of Gluttony possesses you, there is no way you can escape. You just have to accept it's taking over your soul and bend to it's will. If you resist, it will whisper in your ears words that'll awaken your craving until you give up the fight and sacrifice yourself on the altar of epicurism. It is impossible to struggle against the urge to "sin".

As a result, my size 36-38 (size 6-8 US) trousers are slightly too tight now and I feel not really comfortable in my body anymore. But hey, what the heck? Eventhough I care about my weight, find it important to exercise regularly and control my diet I also have food desires like everybody else and sometimes have to fulfill them. The delight and beatitude conferred by this nosh marathon was so big that the few centimeters I had gained around my waist, hips and thighs were not that dramatic.

Anyway, once you get back to your normal routine you will lose the extra fat you had acquired and get fit again (as a matter of fact I've already lost most of it), so why be afraid of a short break in your regime. If it happens once in a while and it is not a habit, then it can't be bad. You just have to be in control of things and know when to stop. It's only once it becomes an addiction that it develops into something dangerous and negative. Then you have to raise the alarm and consider taking your problems seriously.

All year long (most of the time, festive holidays aside), I try to eat well and to follow my usual dietary pattern which consists of meals that are mostly vegetarian (80% of the time), poor in carbohydrates (sugar, cereals, starchy vegetables & starches), rich in protein (eggs, dairy produces, legumes, nut, seeds & animal products) and vegetables. This way of feeding is what fits me best. Since I've started preparing less carb-loaded dinners I have more energy, feel a lot less hungry all the time and more comfortable in my body. Not forgetting that it is also very budget-friendly as you don't need to buy tons of overpriced meat.

Although I love meat I cannot cook it more than twice a week otherwise it'll affect my well-being. So, in a way I am nearly a full-time vegetarian. I don't mind being a carnivore, but I also love veggies since there are so many ways you can cook them. At my place, eating vegetarian meals isn't synonymous of boring and bland, all the contrary!

One of my favorite meat-free recipes that I cook at home is a groovy terrine made with cornflakes. This original vegiloaf is very versatile, tasty and nourishing. It has a pleasant herby, corny and nutty flavor, and a soft as well as moist texture. This "Vegetarian Cornflake And Hazelnut Terrine" can be pan-fried, eaten either cold or hot, served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner and accompanied as well as presented in many different manners.

A multi-faceted dish which is easily prepared, good for the health and which will not ruin you. Perfect!

~ Vegetarian Cornflake And Hazelnut Terrine ~
Recipe by Rosa @Rosa's Yummy Yums 2011.

Serves 4.

Ingrédients:
500ml Milk
160g Cornflakes
100g Ground hazelnuts, lightly toasted
2 Big eggs
1 Big Onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp Nutritional yeast
1/2 CC Garlic powder
A pinch Ground paprika
A pinch Curry powder
A few drops of Tabasco (optional)
1 1/4 Tsp Italian herbs
A pinch dried thyme
Sea salt (fine), to taste
Pepper, to taste
A bit of butter to grease the pan

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 220° C (420° F).
2. In a big bowl, crush (coarsely) the cornflakes.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs with the milk, garlic, spices, Tabasco, herbs, salt and pepper.
4. Pour this mixture over the cornflakes, add the yeast, hazelnuts and onion and mix well.

5. Butter generously your rectangular cake pan and cover the bottom with sulfurised/baking paper.
6. Scrape the mixture in the pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake for aboput 30-40 minutes (test with a skewer).
8. Remove the terrine from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before releasing it delicately from the pan.
9. Serve.

Remarks:
you can replace the hazelnuts by any other ground nuts of your choice, but don't forget to roast them a little.
You can also use the herbs (fresh or dried) and spices of your choice.

Serving suggestions:
Serve hot or cold, with tomato sauce, steamed or stir-fried vegetables, a seasonal salad or pan-fried mushrooms.

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~ Terrine Végétarienne Aux Cornflakes Et Aux Noisttes ~
Recette par Rosa @Rosa's Yummy Yums 2011.

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingrédients:
500ml De lait
160g de Cornflakes
100g de Noisettes moulues, toastées
2 Gros oeufs
1 Gros Oignon, finement haché finement
1 CC de Levure nutritionnelle
1/2 CC d'Ail en poudre
Une pincée de paprika en poudre
Une pincée de poudre de curry
Quelques gouttes de Tabasco (en option)
1 1/4 CC d'Herbes italiennes
1 Pincée de Thym séché
Sel de mer fin, selon goût
Poivre, selon goût
Un peu de beurre pour le moule

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 220° C.
2. Dans un grand bol, concasser grossièrement les cornflakes.
3. Dan un bol moyen, battre les oeufs avec le lait, l'ail, le Tabasco, les herbes, les épices, le sel et le poivre.
4. Ajouter le mélange liquide au cornflakes et ajouter les noisettes ainsi que l'oignon. Bien mélanger.

5. Beurrer généreusement un moule à cake rectangulaire et recouvrir le fond de papier sulfurisé.
6. Verser le mélange dans le moule et lisser le dessus.
7. Cuire pendant 30-40 minutes (vérifier la cuisson avec la pointe d'un couteaux).
8. Sortir la terrine du four et la laisser reposer 5 minutes sur une grille, puis la démouler délicatement.
9. Servir.

Remarques:
Vous pouvez remplacer les noisettes moulues pour d'autres noix moulues, mais n'oubliez pas des les torréfier avant.
Vous êtes libres d'ajouter les épices et herbes (fraîches ou séchées) de votre choix.

Idées de présentation:
Servir cette terrine chaude ou froide, avec de la sauce tomate, des légumes vapeurs ou sautés, une salade de saison ou des champignons légèrement poêlés.