Thondakkai Fry

As though to compensate for the gloomy yesterday, it is such a beautiful, blustery fall day here! I just loved the drive on the way to my daughter’s school. The thick black clouds scattered in the skies, and the bright, beautiful morning sun peeking from inside them, brought about a wonderful transformation to the landscape already lined with colorful fall trees!

 As I was taking in the beauty of the nature, I suddenly realised, its almost weekend!!! And a friend (and family) said they would come stay with us this weekend, aallllll the way from Alaska!!! I am so excited to be able to meet them after a looong time! So, I started searching in my fridge to see what I can make in advance, so I can spend more time with them instead of in the kitchen.

 The first vegetable I saw in the fridge was Thondakkai (in Tamil), Thondekkai in Kannada or Tindora in Hindi. One of my daughters’ favourite “beans”, I would rather relate it to the cucumber family, actually, thats how my mom introduced this vegetable to me. Being a cucumber lover and a kid, I was very happy to eat a mini cucumber!!!!

Anyways, I make the Thondakkai Fry like this:

Ingredients

1 lb Thondakkai

4 green chillies

1/2 tsp chilli powder (reduce if u want less spicy)

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

4-5 Tsps Oil Salt to taste

For seasoning:

1/2 tsp Mustard

1/2 tsp urad dal

Method

1. Cut the Thondakkai in half, lengthwise, and further cut into thin long stripes.

2. Pop it in the microwave for abt 8-10 mins (until it is “almost” cooked). If you dont use a microwave, cook it until its cooked, but, still firm.

3. Heat oil in a shallow pan, add the seasonings.

4. Then add the green chillies, ginger garlic paste (non garlic eaters can use just ginger)and then the Thondakkai.

5. Keep stirring on low heat for approximately 10 mins, or until it begins to turn slightly brown.

6. Add chilli powder, salt, mix well, leave it for a minute and its done!

Kathrikkai Podimas/Brinjal Curry

Kathrikkai/Eggplant/Brinjal/Aubergine - As most of my fellow bloggers say, is a very versatile vegetable. When it come to this vegetable, we see people on both ends of the spectrum - some eternal eggplant lovers and some, eternal haters!!! Kathrikkai Podi

I like eggplant when its cooked not mushy, but kind of fry/cooked in oil as in Vangibath, Ennegayi, Podimas, etc. We went grocery shopping y’day and seeing the fresh, tender eggplant, hubby dear said, “I never used to eat this, but, the way you cook it now, I started liking this vegetable!”. Ofcourse, I was glad to hear that, and yes, you guessed it! I made Kathrikkai Podimas today!!
If you have the powder done already, this is one of the fastest dishes you can cook, it hardly takes 15 mis to cut and cook!!!

Here goes the recipe:
For the masala powder:

1 cup urad dal
1 cup channa dal
1 1/2 cups dhania
1 cup red chillies

Dry roast(separately) all these till u get a nice aroma and powder coarsely. This stores well for a couple of months.

And now for the Kathrikaki podimas:

1 lb firm, tender Brinjal, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I prefer either the small round or long purple ones)
1 tsp of masala powder (more if u prefer more spicy)
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp Amchur powder or tamarind powder or paste (for a slight tang)
A pinch of turmeric powder

To Temper:
Mustard seeds
Asafoetida

Method:

1. Heat oil, temper and add the cubed eggplant.
2. Let cook in medium flame for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occassionally, take care not to make it mushy, the cubes should be cooked but still firm!
3. Add turmeric, salt to taste and the amchur powder, stir.
4. Finally, sprinkle the masala powder, mix well, turn off the heat.
5. Delicious Kathrikkai podi is ready, its that easy and quick!