Hundredthish
Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 7:21PM Not too long ago, I put up my 100th Dash of Stash post without realizing it. My obliviousness made the event quite anticlimactic, so I apologize, and am going to do what I should have done several posts ago, and recreate the very first dish I posted, baingan bharta, a popular Indian eggplant dish.
In the last hundredish posts, my cooking skills, my sense of taste, feelings for Padma, and knack for the English language have all matured. Some areas are still shakier than others, but at least I've identified those weaknesses, and either have a plan to strengthen them, or completely avoid them. For my baingan bharta revision, I'm not going to be by-the-book authentic, but it will be good, or at least tastier and more sensical than its predecessor.
;)
The first step, is still broiling eggplant for 20 minutes, until black, for old time's sake. While the eggplant is cooling to the point of being hand-friendly, add oil to a saucepan and fry a small diced red onion, garlic, ginger, and thinly sliced chiles of choice. Once the onions are translucent, season the pan mixture with freshly ground tumeric, which will turn the dish that familiar Indian yellow; garam masala; and chili powder for fire breathers.
Next, add the eggplant and diced tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes as I did since there aren't any ripe ones yet, and green peas--assuming you made a grocery list and didn't forget to buy them at the store. Taste and re-season, as the tomatoes should dilute the dish. Add a few cilantro stems, and stew on low heat for 20 minutes.
;)
Spoon the baingan bharta on a mound of boiled basmati rice, finish with freshly squeezed lemon juice, and cilantro leaf garnish. Just don't use sesame seeds--still don't know what I was thinking last time. I was still young and foolish. Get crunch with papadum, fried chick peas, or something indigenous to India.
Thanks to everyone for reading all hundred plus posts, or even just one. I started the site because of a nagging vegetarian co-worker, and my personal desire to recreate the shared experience of dining, which while living alone, I often miss. Here's to another hundred-ish posts, not running out of ideas (I take requests), and late nights of mad typing and cursing my raw photographs.
Stash
Instead of diced raw, or crushed, I've decided that oven-roasted plum tomatoes would make an excellent lycopene component--just remember to peel the papery skins after roasting.
Garam Masala, Indian, baigan bhartha, vegetarian in Food, Recipe 
Reader Comments (8)
I check your blog once in a while and always find interesting reading. Continue to update!
Congratulations on the first hundred! Here is to hundreds more! I will make this for my meatless Sunday next week. Broiling for 20 minutes seems rather long... Do you have gas or electric broiler? Looks darn tasty!
Congrats on the first 100 dude. Here's lookin at 1000000000 more!
Congrats on your longevity! There are so many blogs that come and go. This recipe actually looks terrific--I like everything in the dish, and will try it. Why don't you do more videos? Your chilaquiles verdes was very creative. There are so many yakety-show videos; I liked the music and the "story" concept. I think you should do more.
Thanks everyone--I'll try to do another video soon, but they take time, and a few shower epiphanies to conceive.
Congratulations! Looking forward to your future posts :-) Keep it up!
Indian (and grilling) are 2 areas I need to improve my cooking skills. I always admire your gung ho attitude regarding food and you inspire me in both these directions. GREG
One of my big fat favorites- my Indian client did not like to have it too often, but I loved it- also I now like bitter melon, and Tindi/Tinda (controversy on name), but they make the best curry! Happy 100th Stash!