Green Tomato Thokku

Irene came and left us relatively unscathed. While I am very grateful that a storm that inflicted so much damage on so many people was so kind to us I was a little upset with the damages to my small patio garden. All the moving around of the large tomato, eggplant and pepper plants let to many broken branches and a bunch of produce that is too small, too green, too raw.

So long story short I found myself with quite a few green tomatoes. I was not sure how to use these. I tried adding them in stir fries, soups etc but it was not working for me. Green tomatoes have a nice tart flavour that is not disguised in stir fries.

Yesterday I had a brainwave about how I would like to use these tomatoes. What I was doing wrong was trying to mask the tartness of the green tomatoes. What I should do instead is celebrate them. So I made a green tomato thokku. This is a Indian spicy chutney that is eaten with rice and curd and is normally made with raw mangoes. And green tomatoes was the perfect substitute. They were firm enough to stand up to grating. The thokku was tart and very flavourful.

Recipe

4 large green tomatoes

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tbsp til oil

a couple of pinches of asfoetida

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt to taste

3 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste since this quantity will vary drastically based on chili powder used and your own preferences)

Grate the green tomatoes. Heat 2 tbsp til oil in pan. When oil is hot add the mustard seeds and watch them splutter. Add the asfoetida and turmeric. Add the grated green tomatoes. Add salt and let the green tomatoes cook on a low flame. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the oil forms a nice coating over the green tomatoes. Add the chili powder. Taste, adjust seasoning (chili powder and salt) and cook for a few more minutes.

Cook and store in a bottle in the refrigerator. Enjoy.

Baingan Bharta

Eggplant is one my favourite vegetables, which is ironic since I spent most of my childhood hiding the eggplant on my plate under cups. Every cuisine I can think of has one kick ass eggplant dish. Indian cuisine has many delicious recipes using eggplant-
- bagara baingan
- yennai kathrikai
- baigan bhartha
- dahi baingan
to name a few popular indian dishes made from this versatile vegetable.

Today I made baingan bhartha. It is a simple dish which showcases the flavour of this eggplant perfectly.

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
2 small onions (chopped fine)
2 roma size tomato (chopped fine) - I used a about 2/3 of a can of drained diced tomatoes since I was out of fresh tomatoes
4 to 5 small green chillies (chopped fine)
ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
5 cloves garlic chopped fine
cumin seeds - 1tsp
coriander powder 1 tbsp
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

The eggplant is cooked over a flame until the skin is burnt. This gives the flesh of the eggplant a smokey flavour that is just incredible. This dish can also be made by broiling the eggplants in an oven. When I did not have a flame to work with ( in my previous life in an apartment that is how I made my bhartha). But it is not the same.

After burning the skin all over the eggplant will be all mushy. Transfer this to a container or bag and seal it. I used a glass dish that has a tight cover. Leave it alone for 15 minutes or so. The moisture and steam in a closed container helps to loosen the skin of the eggplant. Peel the skin off and cut the eggplant into chunks. Then take a fork and mash the mixture. If some portions feel a little uncooked you could stick it in the microwave for a while.

Today my eggplant was perfectly done and smelt unbelievably good.

In a hot pan add a little oil and add the cumin seeds. As the begin to brown add the turmeric and the chopped onion, garlic and green chillies. Cook this until the onion is translucent.

Add the tomatoes and stir. Cook this mixture for another 4 to 5 minutes on a medium flame so the tomato gets cooked and incorporated with the rest.

Add the eggplant pulp and mix and mash with a flat ladle. Add the coriander powder. Cook this mixture until everything is incorporated and the mixture begins to brown slightly.

The bhartha is done. Top with finely chopped coriander.

I ate my bhartha with plain dal and rice.

Enjoy!

Pav

I did some more baking. This time I decided to make some simple pav. I have tried pav before had over baked it. Though it looked rather pretty last time the pav itself was a little on the tough side. This time I cooked it right and also followed a slightly different recipe.

Ingredients
3 cups bread flour
1 to 1 and 1/4 cup water ( this will vary quite a bit based on humidity)
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp butter ( the next time I am going to try oil but I did not want to risk things this time)
1 and 1/2 tsp yeast or one packet of yeast
Warm the water so it feels warm to touch. Even slightly too hot and you will kill the yeast, the water should be only just warm. Add sugar and the yeast. Stir and set aside for 8 minutes.

Take a large mixing bowl that is convenient for kneading. I prefer to knead in a bowl, a lot of people seem to prefer a floored board. Whatever floats your boat is fine. Add the flour and the salt and mix thoroughly.

Add the proofed water, yeast and sugar mixture ( which should be all bubbly) to the flour and mix. The resulting mixture will be quite sticky. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it is a little more manageable but will still be sticky. At this point add melt the butter and add it to the mixture. The dough will become a lot easier to knead :). Knead the dough for 5 more minutes. Shape into a ball and put it into a well oiled container. Cover and let the dough rise for an hour.
After an hour the dough should have doubled in the size.

Take the dough out and punch it down and knead a couple of times. Now form a long tube like shape with the dough. You can make up to eight well sized pavs with this mix. Cut the tube into equal portions with a knife and shape into pavs. Put them together on a oiled and floured baking sheet or cake pan. I used a cake pan this time but will probably use a baking sheet the next time since I think that would give me a more traditional pav.Cover the pavs and let them rise for 30 or so minutes. Brush the top of the pavs with egg whites. I do not like the smell of eggs and so I brushed the top with some milk.

Preheat the oven at 350 F. Put the pav in and let it bake for 20 to 22 minutes. Check if they are done. They should have the beginnings of a golden colour on top. Brush with a little butter on top to ensure a soft pav

I was very pleased with the end result.

Edited to add.
I found this video from Vah Chef very helpful. It helps to get an idea about the texture you should be shooting for. I Looooove Vah Chef. The guy has an unabashed enthusiasm about food that is obvious in every recipe that he puts up.