Brinjal Tomato Capsicum Bartha

Brinjal Tomato bartha is a gravy side dish. We in Udupi (Karnataka State) prepare bartha very often with brinjal/egg plant and tomatoes. It is done in different ways. It is spicy, tangy with little sweet and goes well with almost all the main dish.

Brinjal Tomato bartha goes well with Rice and Chapatis and Rotis too. Bartha means its cooked and smashed spicy dish.
I have used brinjal, capsicum and tomatoes with little spices. It is a spicy dish.
No  onions or garlic is used in the curry.

Ingredients :

To Cook :
Brinjal : 1 ( Medium Size )
Tomato : 2 ( Small size)
Capsicum : 1
To Add 
Pepper pods : 3 to 4
Green chillies : 2
Ginger : a small piece
Coriander Leaves : 2 sticks
Salt : to taste
Rasam Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Jaggary (Option ) : 1 Table spoon
Water : 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
To Season : 
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and cut capsicum, tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chilly. Crush pepper pods and keep it aside. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger. Wash it again and grate it.
2. Wash and cook brinjal in a pressure cooker for 5 to 6 minutes and leave it for cooling.
3. Remove the outer layer of brinjal once it is cool, smash the pulp and keep it aside.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add mustard seeds and urid dal. Let it splutter.
4. Add curry leaves, green chilly and ingh. Add cut capsicum. Fry nicely till it is soft.

5. Add tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes. Add smashed pulp and mix it well. Add jaggery. Add crushed pepper. Add grated ginger.

6. Add rasam powder, salt and little turmeric powder. Mix it nicely.

7. Add water if required (1/2 cup ). Let it cook nicely for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Add coriander leaves and put off the fire. Shift the ready curry to a serving dish.

9. Brinjal Tomato Bartha is ready to serve.  Serve with a piece of onion.  (serving onion is optional)

Note :
You can cook brinjal as you like it.
1. Wash it, cut it into small pieces and cook in little water. Smash the whole thing nicely.
2. Wash the whole brinjal and pressure cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the outer skin once it is cooled. Smash the pulp and then use the pulp.
3. Wash and cook straight on gas burner. Apply little oil on the outer layer before keeping the brinjal on the burner. Remove the outer layer and use the pulp.
Use of spice according to your taste. You can add cut onions and garlic (optional). Use of jaggery is also optional. More/less. No need to add tamarind or lemon extract.
Any brand of rasam powder can be used. Use a round brinjal to prepare bartha.
Time : 15 minutes
Serves : 3 to 4.

VEG - KOFTA CURRY

Veg Kofta curry is an side dish and goes well with chapatis, rotis, dosas, poori and even plain rice.
It goes well with bread also.

I have used carrots, beans, potatoes and some spices, channa flour, rice flour to prepare this kofta (Filled fritters). For the curry onions, tomatoes and ginger is used here.
Lets see the recipe Now :

For Kofta

Besan/Channa flour : 1/2 cup
Rice flour : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera or Cummin Seeds : 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly Powder : 1/ Teaspoon
Carrots : 2
Boiled potatoes : 3
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Grated Ginger : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : to taste
Oil : To Fry : 1 Cup

Method:

Kofta preparation :
1. Wash and remove the outer layer of carrots and grate it. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger, wash it again and grate it. Wash and cut coriander leaves.
2. Boil potatoes and remove the outer layer once it is cooled.
3. Now take a big bowl and put grated carrots, grated ginger, coriander leaves.

4, Add chilly powder, cumin seeds and salt. Mix it well.
5. Divide the mixed vegetables and make small size balls.

6. Take a bowl, put rice flour, channa flour/besan and chilly powder. Add little salt.
7. Mix with required water and prepare thick dough.

8. Keep a frying pan on the fire and add oil. Let it be hot.
9. Take a small size of the dough, dip in channa flour dough and put it in the hot oil.
10. Fry nicely till it turns golden brown. Remove from the pan and put it on a kitchen tissue.

11. Repeat the same and prepare koftas and keep it aside.
12. Fry the koftas on medium and low flame.

For Curry :

Things Needed :
For the Curry :
Tomatoes : 2 to 3 (Medium size)
Onion : 2
Garam Masaala : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red chilly powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Rasam powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : to taste.
Cashew nuts : 6 to 8
Ginger : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt : To taste
Milk Cream/Butter : 1 Tablespoon (I used fresh milk cream)

Method : 

1. Wash and boil tomatoes with little water for 2 to 3 minutes. Let it cool.
2. Remove the outer layer of onions, wash and cut into small pieces.
3. Wash and remove the outer skin of ginger and wash it again. Grate it.
4. Remove the outer layer of boiled tomatoes, cut into small and keep it aside.
5. Grind cashew nuts into thin paste with little water and keep it aside.

6. Grind grated ginger, cut tomatoes. Let it be paste consistency.

7. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and heat.
8. Add jeera/cumin seeds and fry. Add cut onions and fry till they turn soft and slightly brown.

9. Add ground tomatoes and fry nicely till it cooks well (2 to 3 minutes). Add required salt.

10. Add garam masala, turmeric powder, chilly powder, rasam powder and little jeera powder.
11. Add a cup of water and let it boil for 2 minutes.

12. Add cashew paste and mix it well. Let it boil for a minute.

13. Mix it nicely and add ready koftas to the curry and mix it slowly. Let it cook for a minute. Put off the fire.

14. Leave it for 2 minutes and shift the curry to a serving dish. Add fresh cream/Butter on the top. (I have added fresh boiled milk cream).

15. Serve with the main dish that you have prepared.
16. We had it with chaatis.

Note :

Use of garlic is optional. Koftas can be prepared with grated bottle gourd instead of vegetables.
Use of cashew nuts are optional. Cashews are aromatic and helps to add the taste. You can  use roasted channa (Hurikadale) instead of cashews).Adding any spice of your choice is optional.
You can use cashew pieces in koftas too. (optional).
Time : 40 minutes  (Total time ).
Serves : 4 to 5