Aubergine and Vadies Curry (Baingan/Vengan Vadi nu Shaak/Subze)

Happy Hanuman Jayanti to you all!

On this auspicious occasion, I would like to share the recipe for Aubergine and Vadies Curry/Subze otherwise known as Vengan/Baingan Vadi nu Shaak. It's an acquired taste but one of my favourites! Here is what it looks like:


(enough for 2 generous servings; served best with chapatis)

Vadies are usually made of lentils and spices and then dried out in the sunshine. They are best homemade but for busy people, you can purchase packets of Vadies at any good Indian grocery store. I still have to learn the recipe for Vadies myself, so when I have it, I will put it up for you all.

This is what Vadies look like in their dried form:


Ok, so the recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

For the Vadies:

1 mug dry Vadies
2 tbsps sunflower oil

For the main curry/shaak/subze:

6 tbsps sunflower oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 pinch asafoetida
1.5 aubergines (washed and roughly cut into 1.5 inch cubes)
0.5 tsp turmeric powder
0.5 tsp cumin-coriander powder (thana-jeeru) (available from your local Indian grocery store)
1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger (peeled and grated finely)
1.25 heaped tsp salt
0.75 mug warm water
0.5 tsp sugar
0.5 tsp green chillies (fresh and ground)
1 big pinch black salt (sanchal in Gujarati/kala namak in Hindi)

Method:

1. Put 2 tbsps oil in a large saucepan and heat the oil on a medium heat. Add in the 1 cup of Vadies and cook until golden brown:


Remove from the heat once golden brown into either a plate or bowl.

2. Heat the 6 tbsps oil in the same saucepan and make sure the heat is on a medium to high heat. Add in the mustard seeds and asafoetida and cook until the mustard seeds start popping.

3. Immediately throw in the cubed aubergines and mix until the aubergines are well coated in the oil. Turn down the heat to medium heat.

Picture of cubed aubergines:


4. Add in all the ingredients in the order listed above starting with the turmeric powder. Once all the ingredients have been added in, mix well.

5. Turn the heat back up to a high heat until the curry comes to a boil:


6. Add in the Vadies that you cooked to a golden brown colour earlier and mix well:


7. Cook the Vengan/Baingan Vadi nu shaak/subze for a further 7 minutes on a medium to high heat until the Vadies look they are soaked in the gravy. They should be slightly softened in the curry/subze mixture in the saucepan.

And there you have it! Serve with chapatis and a side salad.

'Til next time ... enjoy!
Jai Bajrang Bali! xx
… and not to forget, Happy Baisakhi for tomorrow! (Sikh New Year!)

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