Roasted Aubergine Mash

This one tops the list of side dishes. It is a versatile and multi purpose dish, that goes both has a salad and a vegetable dish. Aubergine is the most universal vegetable. Every culture has its own aubergine recipe. Aubergine salad is the most popular style. Turkish aubergine salad is a popular starter. A simple dish with roasted aubergine dressed in garlic, olive oil served with tomatoes and cucumber. Its Greek cousin is cooked on stove , then blended dressed in garlic and olive oil served with luscious greek yougurt.

In India this a dish which is common among its different communities. The basics are same only the dressing varies from place to place. Aubergine's are roasted(almost burnt for smoky flavor) on gas stove or earthen ovens. It's skin is peeled off and with a fork it is amalgamated into a mash with salt, garlic and mustard oil. To enhance its smoky flavor , add dry red chillies(1 or 2)heat in oil to make it crisp. Then crumble it and add in the aubergine salad. It can be served with green chillies, roasted tomatoes and chopped coriander. In some parts in India, Yogurt is added to make it a creamy texture.

This salad can be eaten as salad, also as a side dish with scented rice or flat breads. It also makes a delicious sandwich base with tomato and cucumber filling.It can be served as a dip. As a dip one can mix aubergine mash with yogurt and add saffron for color and flavor.A basic recipe is given below:

3 Augergine's roasted (almost burn't)
1 tsp mustard oil
2 dry red chillies
2 or 3 cloves of garlic
2 green chillies
salt to taste
1 tsp finely chopped green coriander

Roast aubergine's on gas stove or bake it in oven wrapped in alminium oil for an hr at 200C.

Once cool remove the skin and just mash it with a fork into almost a paste like textur. Roast the dry chillies in a pan in a tsp oil till crisp. Crumble them then add it to the aubergine mash. Chop garlic and green chillies and add them to the mash along with coriander, salt and oil.Mix well and serve.

The Onion has spoken.....

As the sun submerge under the ocean and the day wears it night gown. It's time for me to unwind. Unwind the tangles of my chaotic mind. Each tangle constituted of a thousand questions. Each question coloured in different shades of doubt.As the night completely settles. I sit silently pondering over the questions of basic existence. Something on the lines of:what to cook for dinner?. This is a very pertinent question(mind you). My entire day (and sometimes) nights are occupied in thinking and planning about food.

Food seem to be the sole reason of my existence. The thought of a sumptuous platter is enough to bring deep harmony to my entire being. As it is very rightly said " there is no love more sincere than love of food". At least it rings the truth in my case. My love for food is unconditional (anything will do when I am hungry). And I know it will last forever.

I must specify here that my love for food is not restricted to my palate. I love cooking food. I've been deeply amazed by the alchemy of cooking since I was very young.It is this love of cooking that has motivated me to buy so many books on cookery. And have found an exclusive corner of my library for themselves. I am addicted to all kind of cooking shows on TV. The square ones as well the curvy ones.

Cooking is extremely therapeutic: I am almost tempted to say; it is a unique form of meditation (at least in my case). The slow repetitive moves in clock wise direction or sometimes more frantic zig - zag kind, somehow align all the five senses along with the mind to focus on its sole purpose to create a delicious meal.

It is this love that motivated me to start this a blog. To share my deep, bright and sometimes ridiculously sweet thoughts on cooking..........