Eggplant and Chutney
Ravaiya Vengna~Chutney na Vengna
These eggplants are slit and filled with green coconut chutney. They are called Ravaiya/raveya, which literally translated means attitude! (Generally the bad kind of attitude, lol!!)
Whoever named this dish was not in a good mood while creating this delicious dish.
The idea is to serve them ''moist'' at the end of the cooking. Shallow fry them lightly in oil all over, turning them only once very carefully, and then cover the lid and allow them to cook through. To make it simpler, add 1 cup of coconut water to the pan before steaming them. This is two-fold: it will allow for the moisture without the chance of burning and it will keep the chutney taste intact. Tying a thread around before frying to keep it together is an option.
Whoever named this dish was not in a good mood while creating this delicious dish.
The idea is to serve them ''moist'' at the end of the cooking. Shallow fry them lightly in oil all over, turning them only once very carefully, and then cover the lid and allow them to cook through. To make it simpler, add 1 cup of coconut water to the pan before steaming them. This is two-fold: it will allow for the moisture without the chance of burning and it will keep the chutney taste intact. Tying a thread around before frying to keep it together is an option.
Steaming them in the oil and coconut water helps them cook through without burning. However it is important to allow it all to evaporate as there is little or no gravy in this dish - just some juicy succulent chutney filled eggplants to enjoy.
Eggplant Stuffed with
Green Coconut Chutney
Vengna na Ravaiya
Green Coconut Chutney
2 cups fresh
or dry grated coconut
10-15 green
chillies (or to taste)
1 packed cup
coriander leaves
1 small raw
green mango, peeled and chopped with seed removed
Juice of ½-1
lemon
2 tbsp
jaggery or sugar (or to taste)
¼ tsp salt
10 mint
leaves
Grind the ingredients very finely to make a smooth chutney.
The chutney should be spicy, sweet, and sour tweaked to suit your taste.
For the eggplant
8 long, thin Japanese eggplants with stems on; slit lengthwise on one side, leaving stem on.
Oil (for shallow frying)
Stuff the eggplants with the chutney and tie them with thin white thread.
Heat the oil in a big fry pan. Fry the eggplants, turning to cook on all sides until they are soft all around.
As an alternative to frying, sprinkle some oil on the stuffed eggplants and bake them in a at 170°C| 350F oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until cooked, turning them once halfway through.
To read about an ancient cuisine you can purchase my cookbooks called The World of Parsi Cooking; Food Across Borders and The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine.
Niloufer's Kitchen: Quick and Easy http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HBSBLI4
Niloufer's Kitchen : Autumn http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FCZC36C
Read more about Niloufer's Kitchen on The Huffington Post Blog
Photo Credit Sheriar Hirjikaka
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