Gujarati Special Recipe 1: Akkha Ringna Bateta nu Shaak

March is the month to try something different. In 2010, I had blogged continuously for a month, in 2011 it was dessert month. Now after a 2 year gap, I bring you the Gujarati Special month. I will be posting 10 of my favorite Gujarati recipes. Main course, starters, sides, desserts and hopefully a pickle or two. 

Toh chalo jamva (so lets eat!)

This first recipe is a vegetable preparation of whole eggplants and potatoes. It was a Sunday lunch speciality growing up. Baby eggplants and potatoes stuffed with a spicy gram flour mix and served piping hot with Toor daal and rotis. This vegetable can be prepared two ways a dry preparation and a gravy one. 

Ingredients:

10 baby potatoes about 2 inches in size

10 baby eggplants about 2 inches in size

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Pinch asafoetida

Salt

Coriander for garnish

For stuffing

3/4 cup gram flour (besan)

2 teaspoons cumin coriander powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons oil

Salt

Wash and peel the potatoes. Put a cut at one end of the potato and another on the other end, perpendicular to the first one. Stuff the filling inside. Next wash and cut off the stems of the eggplant. Again make cuts on both ends like the potatoes and stuff them. Keep the leftover masala for later. 

Now heat a heavy bottomed wok and heat the oil. Add asafoetida, cumin and mustard seeds and when they crackle add the potatoes. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of water and cover. Cook for 10 minutes stirring intermittently. At this time the potatoes should be half cooked (cooked on the outside but firm inside), if not cook for few more minutes. When they are half cooked, add the eggplants. If you want to make a dry preparation, sprinkle a tablespoon of water and cover, else add about a cup of water and cook. After cooking for 10 minutes, add the remaining masala. Cook for 5 more minutes or till the vegetables are cooked. Garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with rotli and Toor ni daal.