Indian Curried Eggplant

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to our friend Harriet St. Amant who sent us these food funnies
from her high-and-dry home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana:

"The Lockhorns," a cartoon by Bunny Hoest and John Reiner which is
featured in many US newspapers, details the constant fussing, feuding
and sniping of Leroy and Loretta Lockhorn. One regular shtick has
Leroy complaining about -- or apologizing for -- long-suffering Loretta's
lack of culinary prowess. Here are some typical Leroyisms:

"Did this cake fall or was it pushed?"

"Lo-carb, high-carb... just as long as there's bi-carb."

"Unfortunately, what happens in the kitchen doesn't stay in the kitchen."

"Isn't my stomach supposed to growl BEFORE I eat?"

"Again? These baby carrots ought to be teen-aged by now."

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This week we make a repeat visit to one of the world's greatest cuisines,
and in keeping with the Indian tradition of serving all the dishes at the
same time I have dispensed with the standard "Starter, Soup & Salad"
format for this week's assortment of Indian delights. I have also ignored
the dessert course so that we have room for a couple chutneys to round
out our Indian table. But before we begin, here are a couple of recipes
that will be called for several times during the week - please clip them
and save them for future reference:

Garam Masala

5 three-inch (8 cm) pieces of cinnamon stick
1/2 cup (125 ml) cardamom seeds
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole cloves
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole cumin seed
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole coriander seeds
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole black peppercorns

Combine the whole spices in a heavy skillet over moderate heat and
toast for a few minutes, until they are warm and aromatic. Allow to cool,
then pulverize in an electric blender or coffee grinder (that you use
exclusively for grinding spices) until it forms a fine powder. This recipe
makes about 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) and may be stored in an airtight
container at room temperature for several months without losing its flavor.

Ghee

1 lb (450 g) unsalted butter

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Increase the
heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is completely
covered with foam stir the butter gently and reduce the heat to the lowest
possible setting. Simmer uncovered and undisturbed for 45 minutes, or
until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown
and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the butter through a sieve lined
with linen or four layers of cheesecloth. If there are any solids in the ghee,
no matter how small, strain it again until it is perfectly clear. Pour the
ghee into a glass jar and seal tightly. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups,
and may be kept at room temperature for several months, or almost
indefinitely refrigerated. It will congeal if refrigerated, and so must be
warmed before using if liquid ghee is called for.

Finally, here is the lineup:

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Side Dish
Curried Eggplant (Bharta)
[Deep-Fried Potatoes in Yogurt Sauce (Dam Alu)]

Tuesday's Side Dish
Cheese with Peas (Mattar Pannir)
[Fried Okra (Sabzi Bhendi)]

Wednesday's Side Dish
Saffron Rice with Lime (Nimbu ka Chaval)
[Rice with Potatoes and Mint (Hari Chatni Pollau)]

Thursday's Entree
Shrimp with Lemon and Tomatoes (Jhinga Patia)
[Curried Halibut (Machli aur Tamatar)]

Friday's Side Dish
Fresh Mango Chutney (Corom Chatni)
[Tamarind Chutney (Imli Chatni)]

It's hard to imagine an Indian table without eggplant in one form or
another, and I would rather not even try.

Curried Eggplant (Bharta)

2 lbs (900 g) eggplants (aubergines)
3-4 medium tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) finely chopped cilantro (coriander
leaves) plus additional for garnish
2 tsp (10 ml) ground coriander
2 tsp (10 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) ghee
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbs (15 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) garam masala
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
The juice of 1 lemon

Pierce the eggplants several times with a sharp knife and bake on a
baking sheet in a preheated 450F (220C) oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool
slightly and split the eggplants open. Scoop out the flesh and discard
the skin. Chop the flesh coarsely and add the tomatoes, cilantro,
coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne, stirring to combine thoroughly.
Heat the ghee in a large skillet over moderate heat until it is very hot.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 15 seconds. Add the onion and
stir until the onion is tender but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the
eggplant mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid
has evaporated and the mixture has thickened enough that it begins to
draw away from the sides of the pan, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garam
masala, salt, and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the
remaining cilantro and lemon juice. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Fri Sep 9 14:52:54 2005