Chicken Aubergine Stew

Chicken Aubergine Stew

So the idea of this stew stems from the fact that stews were an integral part of my entire childhood . Basically my father would make this lip smacking stew with a host of vegetables , chicken and a few spices. Later on when I read about Tagines from Morocoo I found a lot many to be using spices which were known to me and even though the flavours are not really Indian because Indian food is more spicy it does remind me of the stews made by my father which would use the spices sparingly to simply add a touch of flavour.

The other reason why I made up this stew was to use up Aubergines. Here is the difficult part about aubergines, they taste great but take up too much oil when they are cooked. The other healthy option is to make Baba Ghanoush and so here is a recipe which uses them but doesn't require too much frying.


3 slim aubergines
400gm chicken Leg + thigh
1 tsp Homemade Harissa Paste
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 plump tomatoes blanched , skinned and chopped
550ml water
Salt as per taste
Chopped parsley
2 to 3 tbsp black currant (dried black grapes)
1 tbsp olive oil

For the harissa substitute

50gm dried chilies
1/4th  tsp Caraway seeds (in case you don't have Caraway seeds use Shah Jeera which isn't really caraway but gives a nice flavour )
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp Olive Oil


Soak the chilies in luke warm water for 1 hour 30 minutes and then de-seed them . (I advice using gloves else your hands will have a painful sensation) reserve some of the water for blending.

Now blend it  with the spices after dry roasting the spices , salt and add the oil. Add the reserved water bit by bit till you get a smooth paste. Let it sit in your jar for 1 day and its ready to use. Beware, this stuff is hot so use sparingly. The flavours develop more and more with passing time.

Now for the stew start by blanching the tomatoes, skinning them and chopping them. Now simply heat the oil and add the chicken and seal its juices on high heat for a minute on both the sides and add the chopped aubergine and cover and cook on low heat for 7 minutes to 8 minutes and add the chopped tomatoes and mix well and the spices , currant and then the water and simmer it on low heat for 20 minutes. Check and add salt as per taste, garnish with parsley and serve with some flatbread or couscous or brown rice.

Low Calorie Mashed aubergine dip

Low Calorie Mashed aubergine dip 

Sometimes you will be amazed by how much similarity we have throughout this wide wide world. Take the case of the simple roasted aubergine. In India there is spicy robust Punjabi 'Baingan Da bharta' then there is a simpler Bengali version where you just add chopped onions, roasted spices, fresh coriander and it has a fresh taste . Much later in life I learnt to make Baba ghanoush and fell in love with this Middle Eastern delight. Then I discovered a light soupy dish made with roast eggplants from the South of India. There is also a version from Eastern Europe.

Anyway other than the culinary connection roast aubergine can be a delightfully healthy dish and the best part is it makes for a super healthy dip. Now with all the World Cup Madness I realized one thing snacking is not an option when the football field is on fire. Well here is a thought ditch the chips, ditch the nachos , well you can always have baked potatoes but then it doesn't have than thin crispy crunch so here is something which is unusual yet makes for a delightfully healthy snack. Mashed aubergine with dry roasted stale chapatis which makes for an addictive snacks and its healthy low on calorie and utterly delicious.

Serves 2

2 medium sized aubergine
3 to 4 stale chapatis
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp  extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3 large cloves of garlic
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
Half a large tomato chopped into tiny pieces


Simply roast the eggplants over gas stove and then when cool enough to handle mash with a fork and take off the skin and then blend the garlic, sesame, cumin, 1 tbsp olive oil  and add the mashed aubergine and blend away some more to create a smooth dip. Now take a girdle and heat it and then turn the gas flame to low and cut triangular shaped crisps from stale chapatis and dry roast till crispy. The flame must always be on low else you shall burn them. Once completely crisp drizzle the extra virgin olive oil on the crispy chapati triangles and enjoy with the dip.

Aubergine salad

Creamy and tangy Aubergine salad 

There comes the time when you are tired, tensed with an approaching deadline yet there is the weekend to spend with the other half (Cannot be sure if better) So despite the work schedule we lazily watched movies and then there were the hunger pangs at 4 p.m.

My funny bachelor of a husband as I call him lives in the City of Dreams while I stay in the City of Joy. Quite naturally I expect compromises such as having to not have the joys of an oven, absence of many a kitchen appliances both electronic and otherwise but what was beyond my anticipation was the absence of a gas-stove. Apparently the electronic stove which was probably invented during the discovery of Electricity itself does the work for him.

Swamped with work I asked the other half to stock the pantry and come Saturday I had garlic, onions, tomatoes , plump purple aubergines , a few stale wholewheat bread slices  , chili flakes salt Olive oil which I had stocked in my previous visit some 4 months ago and some curd which I did hang for a quick dip which meant a visit to the market was a necessity deadline or no deadline but before that it was lunch time and so I decided on making some cooked salsa and storing it for further emergencies. You see these humble tomatoes can work wonders when in need. Use it as a dip for veggies and you have a lovely snack, use it with salads , use it as a condiment for meat. Well its usefulness is endless.

Now the salad is extremely simple :

All you need is

Plump purple aubergines
Whipped hung curd
Homemade salsa


So I went ahead with my batch of salsa.

Basically it is very easy

I used about 6 plump small to medium sized tomatoes
1 whole medium sized onion and half a medium sized onion
5 to 6 pressed garlic (the size is 1/4th of the giant garlic cloves)
salt as per taste
Olive Oil
Chili flakes (I used 1 tsp since the other half has developed an intolerance for hot food) You can use it as per the amount of hotness you can handle

Just use a good lug of oil and saute your pressed garlic  , when you get that beautiful aroma add your chopped onions and saute till translucent and add chopped tomatoes. Mix well and then simmer covered. remember that tomatoes have high water content and hardly needs extra water in the salsa. When you see bubbles on top add salt and chili flakes and mix well. and then simmer mashing everything with a masher from time to time till it reduces and becomes sticky. Cool the cooked tomatoes and simply blend away to a chunky paste. This can be stored upto 5 days. Simply add 1 tbsp of olive oil when putting it in the jars

The next step is simple . Simple whip your hung curd to yield a smooth creamy texture. Tip Do not throw it in a blender please else you shall have a creamy but liquid curd.

Frying aubergines

Cut your aubergine in circular shapes neither too thick nor too thin because if its too thick it absorbs way too much oil and too thin would burn it easily. Simply fry these in olive oil. Now you might think that refined oil which is much cheaper is the better option but believe me when I say that olive oil has its own flavour which it imparts to the aubergine when fried in it. Simply rub salt and fry on both sides till golden. I usually cover the pan when frying aubergines to speed up the process.

Frying bread

Make little cubes out of your bread slices and simply fry to a crunchy delight

Assembling the salad is a piece of cake. Simple layer the aubergines add whipped hung curd on top and top it with salsa and the fried pieces of bread.

Now while this salad is neither low calorie nor fat free it is one hearty salad perfect for the gloomy cold weather of which Bombay had neither on that particular but nevertheless the husband licked the plate clean. I took a single bite and was tempted to try bite after bite but refrained from doing so with great difficulty

Mustard aubergine

Beguner tel Jhal 

Aubergine in a spicy curry from Bengal

Everything has a meaning. So you see the part of India I belong to, a state nestled between the somber Himalayas and the beautiful Bay of Bengal has one of the most elaborate cuisines of the country. Even today many a household serves a good 5 course meal which is mostly unheard of in most parts of India.

The way the cuisine is segregated with many a terms has never seized to amaze me so you have your soupy curries called "jhols" then the spicy thick ones as "jhals" and the vegetarian section has a whole lot of difference such as the "Ghontos" "dalnas" "chorchoris" "chechkis" etc etc.

Nevertheless in a Bengali's regular dining habit a meal without fish is something which shall probably make most Bengali mothers faint. The usual curries are segregated as either the "jhols" your soups fish curry or "jhals" a bit spicy and thick curry. Of course there is the "Kalia" for special occasions but that will be for another post.

Now the most basic of spicy thick gravy is a very simple recipe which simply uses mustard paste and is tempered with nigella seeds. The spicy strong flavour of mustard is a very popular dish in all of Bengal East or West.

Now my in-laws from down South are green people as I call vegetarians. So I couldn't understand why they should not get a flavour of this delightful comfort food and so I simply used aubergines to create "Shorshe Begun Jhal" which can be translated as "Aubergines in mustard sauce" . Now "jhal" translates to hotness of a dish and the kick in this dish is gotten from that delightful flavour of mustard. Now use of mustard oil is a must for the true blue flavour to come out but in case you do not have access to it you might use refined oil.

What I need is very simple

3 medium sized aubergines (Using the violet ones help)
4 tbsp yellow mustard seeds soaked in 6 tbsp water.
1 tsp nigella seeds
6 green chilies
Salt as per taste
Mustard oil
1 dried red chili

Start by soaking the mustard seeds in the water and leaving it to soak for about an hour. Now check after Half an hour and if you find all the water to have been absorbed by the mustard seeds then add a little bit of extra water. Now in usual Bengali homes they use the black mustard seeds which bring in a greater punch but for first timers I suggest using the yellow ones and in case you are a brave heart try half an half. In the meantime slice the aubergine but it must neither be too thick nor too thin since if it is too thin it shall break when being cooked in the gravy and if its too thick it shall soak up too much oil when it is fried and it takes too much time. Now make a smooth paste with the mustard seeds , 2 green chilies adding more water if required.

Now heat mustard oil and fry the aubergines on medium to low heat but do not make them crispy. Just cover and cook till its cooked. Now use 2 tbsp mustard oil and add the nigella seeds and when they splutter add dried red chili and the mustard chili paste but only through a strainer else you end up with a terribly bitter curry. Add the bit of water and strain as much liquid as you can till you have a crumbly dried residue. Add this strained yellow liquid to the pan and add 350ml of water and bring to boil and add salt and then simmer till you have a slightly thickened gravy and add the aubergine slices. Cook for another 7 to 8 minutes till you see a layer on top and enjoy with hot fluffy rice.

Roast bell peppers aubergine salad

Roast bell peppers and aubergine with a kiss of cheese 

Just another evening

R: "Go ahead it will be fun to watch you roll around "
E: "What is the problem though, I want to stay healthy"
R: "Oh So, you think you can stay healthy by just leaving everything out and exercising. Just wait till you get hunger pangs at midnight and then realize you lost your chance to make dinner and head straight for the 100gm cheese or worse make chocolates and finish off everything"
E: "So what do I do"
R: "Here is something useful. You have walked your 4.6km. You are exercising. Have those colourful bell peppers say 1.5 of them, half an eggplant and you cover 3 servings of the 5 serving recommendation of vegetables. Add 50gm of mozzarella. stop making that silly face. You yourself copied the list of recommended servings per day. 40gm cheese is allowed when you are not having meat. Besides you know how a little  fat makes your skin glow. "
E: "How do I have raw eggplants please"
R: "Why silly billy why do you have to always think in one line. Raw is not the only way to health. Grill them of course, add a dash of that gorgeous extra virgin olive oil you just bought and add a splash of lemon juice, a dash of parsley and see what it does to you , you silly thing"

With this conversation between my rational side and emotive side of the brain I call them R and E and a scribbled recipe I went ahead and grilled the 1 whole red pepper and half a yellow bell pepper and eggplant. Word of caution, I would not recommend the eggplant to be grilled. Takes up way too much brushing of oil.

What you need

1 whole red bell pepper
Half a large eggplant
Half a yellow bell pepper
Dash of parsely
Dash of chili flakes
Extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoonful for drizzling
Olive oil for brushing the veggies with
Juice from half a big lemon (increase or decrease the amount as per your taste buds)

Cut the bell peppers in half and the aubergine in circular patterns and use salt to marinate them with,  for 15 minutes. brush them with olive oil. First grill them outer side up . You might want to turn them over and keep grilling till the upper side of the bell peppers and one side of the aubergine is fully done. Now add very thin small slices of cheese which adds up to a total of 40gm to 50gm on each bell pepper. Grill this side and the other non-cooked side of the eggplants. After the fourth brushing of oil on eggplants I was a bit annoyed and did use a shortcut method. By then it was half cooked. So took them off the rack. sprinkled water and cooked them on the gas stove covered.
Stack them , drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice add the dash of parsley and chili flakes and you have a whole lot of healthy going on. If serving with meat I suggest using half of this for each diner. If eating ti all by oneself simply dig in.

Aubergine stew

The Healthy Aubergine stew inspired by Jamie Oliver and Sicily 

Say what you will but I am a firm believer of hearty Sunday brunches and healthy weekday lunches. You see while I believe that the beautiful rich gravy for the Sunday Chicken roast or the delightfully regal Murgh - E- Shalimar or that excellent breakfast with plump sausages and bacon or the deep fried Puris are all an ode to marvelous taste I believe that we should give due respect to our health for which we survive at all.

So come Monday and its usual work,not swamped with work but work nevertheless. So at 10:30 the hunger pangs suggests I have a snack but my mind says a fuller meal for having stupidly eaten 1 square of dark chocolate and tea in the morning. After a bit of debate I decide on brunch. Hmm! Now what to do , what to do the fish is all frozen, did not want chicken after yesterdays's roast chicken and so finally look in my folders for previously collected recipes and remembered the two plump aubergines and  picked up Oliver's 'Incredible Sicilian Aubergine Stew'. What a lovely delightful brunch. Aubergines sauteed in olive with the robust flavour from plump tomatoes. With my new found principle of fresh is the best discareded the sue of bottled olives and capers. Swapped the parsley for beautiful aromatic basil because ah basil and tomato are the couple in love forever. a small addition of less than half a teaspoonful of chili flakes and of course the usual garlic I present Healthy Monday Aubergine brunch.  had to settle for the home dried basil leaves instead of fresh herbs because well I am again a  firm believer of wastage being a sin.                                       P.S. The sprinkle (salt and water ) , cover method really helps cook the vegetables extremely fast :)

So here is what goes in

2 lovely plump aubergines
4 plump tomatoes
1 heaped tsp oregano leaves
1 tablespoonful of red wine vinegar but adjust as per your liking for tangy taste
Chopped basil leaves say less than a handful
Freshly ground pepper (I used about 20 peppercorns )
1 medium sized very finely sliced onion
4 to 5 garlic cloves. reduce number as per size of increase it mine were standard Indian medium sized ones
Less than half a tsp chili flakes
olive oil

So chop aubergines in chunks, not too big else it takes too long a time for cooking. Mince your garlic, Finely slice the onions and chop the tomatoes in chunks. saute aubergines in olive oil , not too much . add onions and garlic once aubergines are cooked.  I use my own trick here by using 2 tablespoonful of oil and then frying on high heat for say 1 minute and adding the onions and garlic and then I sprinkle salt and oregano , sprinkle water and cover for the aubergines to be cooked well with using less oil but just a sprinkle of water please else it becomes boiled :P . then add your red wine vinegar and let it evaporate and add tomatoes, chili flakes and basil. Cook for 15 minutes or more till vegetables are thoroughly cooked yet not overcooked on low heat . Again i do cover and add a sprinkle of water. And then there you go with a healthy lunch . Enjoy it with whole wheat or multigrain bread. Flat bread goes well with this as well. I served with white bread since I was out of any other bread and had mine without and sides but thats too extreme and would not recommend that.

Aubergine fritters / Beguni

Beguni/ Aubergine Fritters 

A Classic Bengali Snack 

Its a mad, mad day. Swamped with work I am trying to juggle work with designing my blog while two hungry cats with their ever growing appetite demands attention . I felt tired and at the same time excited. Why excited you ask? Tomorrow is Kali Puja. Now Diwali is most often celebrated a day after Kali Puja. In Bengal we are born feminists and so most of our religious celebrations center around Goddesses. Now, I might not care too much about the religious part but a festive day means working my mind at the recipes to be cooked the next day and then came the lovely afternoon hours. The sun was kissing goodbye and my cats were howling when I realized I need a strong cup of coffee, and then when you have your father back from a surgery demanding delicious meals you cannot but oblige.

While my coffee brewed I sliced my aubergines. Here there is a catch, the thinner you slice them , the crunchier it would be and the less time it would take for frying. Use a bit of salt for taste.The secret to my extra crunchy beguni 'muchmuche beguni' is Ssshhh keep reading please.

When you make the batter , remember it has to be a bit thinner than the thick dropping consistency because thick batter renders  a thick coating which is not acceptable to us Bengalis and if the batter is thick your fritters won't be crunchy .

So all you do next is to fry them in Mustard oil. You can always use refined oil but then there will a lack of the special flavour that mustard oil adds.

Ingredients 

Aubergines sliced thinly and longitudinally
salt and turmeric  to be smeared on the aubergines

For the batter  I used 

The cups hold 210ml water

3/4th cup chickpea flour/besan
1/4th cup rice flour
Salt as per taste
A tiny bit of turmeric
Pinch of nigella seeds
2 tbsp raw mustard oil
More or less 1 cup of water

Mustard oil for frying

Simply slice the aubergine and marinate with salt and turmeric, In the meantime make a smooth batter out of besan, rice flour, mustard oil, nigella seeds, salt and turmeric . Add the dry ingredients bit by bit and a bit of water to make sure the batter is evenly mixed without lumps. Once you have a smooth batter heat the mustard oil and add a spoonful say 1 tbsp of the oil in your batter. This age old step yields crunchy fritters.

Heat mustard oil and dip the aubergine in the batter and fry on low heat till a golden colour on both sides. Turn it after a whole when frying. Enjoy with puffed  rice and a green chili with some hot tea or coffee.