Brinjal Gojju

Brinjal Gojju / bartha is a side dish done with Brinjal/Egg plant. The big brinjal really adds taste to this curry.

It is a quick, easy, yummy and simple dish that you can prepare when you are in a hurry.
Brinjal Gojju goes well with almost all the main dishes.
Let us see the recipe now :
No Onion OR No Garlic is used in Brinjal Gojju.

Ingredients :

To cook :

Brinjal  : 1
Green chilly : 2
Tomatoes: 2 ( Small )
Capsicum : 1
Carrot : 1
Ginger : An inch
To Season :
Coconut Oil : 2 Tablespoons
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Jeera / Cumin Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
To Add :
Turmeric powder : A pinch
Sambar /Rasam Powder : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Jaggery : 1 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon

Method :

1. Wash and cut brinjal and soak the pieces in a big bowl at least for 10 minues.
2. Wash and cut tomatoes, carrot and slit green chilly.
3. Wash and cut capsicum and keep it aside.

4. Wash ginger, peel of the skin and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil. Add mustard seeds, jeera and let mustard splutter.
6. Add ingh, curry leaves and fry for a second.

7. Add cut carrot pieces, capsicum, and tomatoes. Add grated ginger and green chilly.

8. Fry nicely for s minute. Remove brinjal from water and wash it again. Add these brinjal pieces with carrots.
9. Fry for a minute and add salt, turmeric powder, rasam powder and salt.
10. Mix all the vegetables nicely and put 1/2 cup of water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. ( I used pressure cooker to cook ). Allow it to cool.
11. Keep the cooked gojju on the fire. Add jaggery and mix it well. Add coriander leaves.

12. Shift the ready Brinjal Gojju to a serving dish and serve with the main dish you have prepared. We had it with plain red rice.

Note :

Soaking brinjal pieces in water helps to remove the bitterness in brinjal. Use of any brand of
 rasam /sambar powder is optional. I have used MTR. rasam powder.
Use of any cooking oil is optional. You can use tamarind pulp instead of tomatoes.
Discarding tomato seeds is optional. Use of pressure cooker is optional. You can cook in a pan instead of pressure cooker. Use of onions and garlic is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 5.
Brinjal Bajji/Fried fritter with Brinjal Gojju.
 Mix channa flour with little water, jeera, chilly powder and salt. Let the batter be idly consistency.
Wash and cut brinjal in to circle shape and wash it again. Squeeze out the water and dip brinjal pieces in channa batter. Keep a cup of oil on the fire and heat. Fry channa flour dipped brinjal one by one in hot oil. Remove from the oil and put it on the kitchen tissue.
Serve as one of the side dish.

Baked Cucumber Sweet Kadubu /Rice Cake

Baked Cucumber Sweet Kadubu is one of the traditional dish. Normally we prepare steamed sweet kadubu. This time I tried baking the same ingredients. It is like a cake and we can have it with cup of coffee/tea/juice. The choice is yours.

Some time back I have seen this Rice Cake/ Baked Kadubu /Baked Rice Cake in Foodie Group page.
My friend and foodie group admini Shri Kripa has prepared this baked cucumber sweet kadubu and I really wanted to try. I told her that it looks yummy and I am going try the dish. It is one of the North Canara dish. They call this dish as Kendathadya and it is normally done in fire wood oven.
   To tell about Shri Kripa, she is an excellent cook and very active person too. She is a good gardener and good adviser and she will definitely put her effort to provide clarification and guide people with her knowledge. She is a kind hearted friend.
       Coming back to my story, I got too busy with my routine, visiting places, going to dramas, music concerts, my tuition classes, attending marriages and the list goes on. We were too busy with deepavali festival etc,etc,etc. I did not get the time to try this Baked Cucumber Sweet Kadubu.
     
Yesterday we had the plan of visiting our elder son Ravi and his wife Vidya. Normally I do prepare some thing and take it to them. Mother's love you see  ☺  I had some cucumber n the fridge. So thought of giving a try. I had an idea and  I have watched a cookery show some time back. She had baked rava idli with dil leaves. Just the same way. I was pretty sure what to do. Believe me the " Rice cake " was an excellent out come and every one at home liked it. That is more important that what ever you do should fit into every one's liking.
I soaked the raw rice, then grind with jaggery and coconut, and then baked it.
This is exactly the way we do Our Southekai Kadubu. Instead of steaming I tried with baking the kadubu/Rice Cake.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

Raw Rice /Dosa Rice : 2 Cups
Grated Coconut : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Cardamom : 5 to 6
Cucumber : 1 Medium
Ghee : 2 Teaspoons
Salt : A pinch
Eno Salt : 1 Teaspoon

Method :

1. Wash and soak the rice for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Grate coconut.
3. Wash and peel off the outer layer of cucumber. Cut into thin pieces.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery. Add 1/4 cup of water and let the jaggery melt completely.
5. Sieve jaggery mixture with a siever and keep cleaned jaggery mixture aside.
6. Remove the pods from cardamom and keep it aside.

7. Remove the water from soaked rice and grind it with coconut,cardamom, cucumber pieces.
8. Use very little water to grind. Let the batter consistency be like rava/semolina.
9. Now add cleaned jaggery and grind it for a minute.

10. Remove the batter from mixi jar and put it to a bowl.

11. Greece the tray with little ghee.

12. Heat the oven for 5 minutes before you keep the Rice cake batter.
13. Add 3/4 teaspoon of Eno salt and 1 teaspoon of ghee to the batter and mix it well.
14. Pour the batter to the tray and keep it in the oven and bake for 40 minutes @ 180 degree C.

15. Insert a knife edge and check. If it does not stick to the knife edge its done.
16. Remove the tray from the oven and keep it above the oven for 10 minutes.

17. Cut the rice cake when it is completely cooled.

18. Baked Cucumber Sweet Kadubu/Rice Cake is ready to serve.

 Note :

Do not add more water while grinding the batter. You can use jaggery mixture instead of water to grind the ingredients. Grinding smaller quantity is always better. Use of more / less jaggery is optional. No need to use more ghee. Cut the Rice Cake once it is completely cool.
If the batter turns bit watery  add 2 to 3 tablespoons of medium size rava/semolina. Thae batter turns bit thick.
Time : 
Preparation time : 10 Minutes.
Rice soaking time : 3 hours
Grinding time : 5 Minutes.
Baking time : 40 Minutes.
Cooling time : 10 Minutes.