Regarding this dish: a good friend of mine, Lana, sent me photos of her own chana masala and baingan bharta, based on the recipe provided in the blog. Her char-roasted eggplants look amazing. Thanks, Lana!
Baingan bharta is usually creamy and buttery. The way India House makes it takes creaminess to a new level, such that I alternated between gobbling it up like a rabid beast and clutching my stomach with pain.
A series of delicious dishes, with eggplant in the middle, all of which are basically the same color for some reason. |
Don't forget the chutneys! |
You can see the ghee pooling on the surface. |
Overall, I would say that this bharta is totally delicious, but so rich that you can only eat a small amount. If I ate any more than that, I felt similar to the time I recklessly ordered a slice of cake AND a milkshake in a diner -- that is to say, disgusting.
Finally, as long as I'm on the topic of Indian food, I'd like to share the exciting news:
I just fermented stuff for the first time! AND I'M STILL ALIVE!
I made Indian lime-pickle from scratch, and it turned out great. Wedges of lime with vinegar, turmeric, mango powder, and tons of salt sat on the countertop for five weeks. Then I mixed it with spices and oil in a pan and voila!
The fermented limes with oil and spices, briefly cooked on the stovetop. |
Let it sit for a few more days, and it's ready to eat! Delicious! |
I made an Indian dinner to accompany my pickle: rasaam soup and garbanzo-pea-sweet-potato stew, along with rice and yogurt. |
A feast! But there's not an eggplant in sight, so this is clearly a lengthy non-sequitur. |
And with that, I'm going to Germany. So long, farewell, aufwiedersehen, goodnight!
That all looks painfully delicious (because of my hunger pangs, not the pooling ghee): Lana's chana, India House's monochrome dishes, and lime pickle I can almost taste, along with the familiar rassam, etc. Gezint sisters!!
ReplyDeleteHi Abigail! I thought those aubergines looked familiar! Thanks for the shout out!
ReplyDeleteYou can never fail with baingan bharta... though it's harder to find a really good one in London than I thought. I think I'm going to give fermenting a try next. Looks great!
Have a fabulous time in Germany! Schön schön! Hope all is well, let's catch up soon! xx L