Aubergine & Potato Subze/Baingan ane Bataka/Bateta nu Shaak (Curry)

Today, at a friend's request, I am going to show you how to make Aubergine/Eggplant & Potato Curry/Baingan ane Bateta/Bataka nu Shaak. It's something we have grown up on and for a time was one of my favourite dishes; in fact, I still love it today but as I have discovered new cuisines, I don't have favourites but I savour all, well made foods!


(serves 4 people)

The thing with Gujarati cuisine is that a lot of it can come across as comfort food because it tastes delicious although, in fact, it can be very healthy depending on how you cook it. So long as it is not dripping in oil, we are all good! :)

Ok so here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

For the tarka - roasted seasoning:

3.5 big tbsp of sunflower oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
0.5 tsp mustard seeds
1 pinch asafoetida
2 pinches papad khar/sanchoro (available in your local, Indian food, grocery store)

then:

2 aubergines (cubed into 2cm squared cubes)
2.5 large or 5 small potatoes (cubed into 2cm squared cubes)
1 clove garlic (grated)
1 heaped tbsp ginger (fresh and grated)
1 heaped tbsp salt
6 big tbsps tomato pulp (from a tin of plum tomatoes)
0.75 glass of warm water (small glass)
1 tsp green chillies (fresh and ground)
0.5 tsp red chilli powder
0.5 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsps cumin-coriander powder (available from your local, Indian food, grocery store)
1 tbsp fenugreek leaves (dried and crushed) - NOT seeds!
0.5 tsp sugar

Optional: 

3 tbsps chopped coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Cut the aubergines and potatoes as illustrated in the following pictures:



PLEASE always wash the vegetables before and after cutting them, ALWAYS!

2. In a pressure cooker, heat the oil on a high heat and when the oil is hot, add in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafoetida and papad khar.

3. Once the seeds have slightly browned, add in the cubed aubergines and stir until they are coated with the tarka seasoning in the cooker.

4. Add in the potatoes and again, stir in well.

5. Keep the heat on a high heat all this time.

6. Add in the rest of the ingredients in the order listed above and stir well until the vegetables are coated in the spices.

7. Close the pressure cooker and cook on a high heat until the pressure cooker whistle sounds twice. The subze should be cooked now.

8. Turn off the heat and wait until all the pressure has been released from the cooker. Only when all the pressure has been released, then open the cooker.

9. Serve the subze while hot on a bed of basmati rice or with chapatis (Indian flat bread).

So there you have it, Aubergine/Eggplant & Potato Curry! Let me know how yours turned out!

'Til next time ... enjoy! 
Bon appétit! xx

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