Passport & Plate - Papri
United Kingdom | Wednesday, March 4, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Red Onions, sliced - 2
Whole garlic, peeled and crushed - 8
Fresh ginger, grated - 1 inch
Indian broad beans, stringed and halfed- 500g
Baby Aubergine diced - 2
Potato, peeled and diced - 1 large
White sweet potato, peeled and diced - 1 large
Fresh Tomato, diced - 4 med
Green chili, split - 3 small
Parsi sambar masala - 1 heaped tsp
Ground cumin - 2 heaped tsp
Ground coriander - 2 heaped tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 heaped tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Carom seeds, gently rubbed in the palm of your hand- 1/4 tsp
Salt - 2 tsp (or to taste)
Groundnut oil - 3 tbsp
Water - half cup
How to prepare this recipe- on a low to me heat gently fry the onions in the groundnut oil with the lid on the pan, every 2 min stir the onions and replace the lid
- after 4 min add the whole crushed garlic and stir, replace the lid
- after another 3 min add the peeled and grated ginger, stir and replace lid
- keep on a med flame until the onions, garlic and ginger become dark golden and very aromatic, you do not want to burn this mix but you do want it dark. if the mix starts to catch on the bottom, scrape it off and stir it in, this will add great flavor.
- now add the aubergine, potato and sweet potato and Indian broad beans and stir, replace the lid and leave for 2 min on med heat
add the tomato and stir, replace the lid and cook on med heat stirring every 2-3 min until tomatoes loose their water and become mushy
- add all the spices, salt and water, stir, replace the lid and cook out until the potatoes are tender. you will have to stir every 4-5 min and again some will catch on the bottom but just scrape it with the spoon and mix it in.
notes:
- caramelizing the onion, garlic and ginger is an important step, it produces the base flavor for the dish, take great care here not to burn this mix, controlling the heat keeping a close eye.
- keeping the lid on will stop the water from evaporating and help cook the vegetables. so when you do take the lid off make sure the water that gathers on the inside of the lid is poured back into the pot.
- the end result is similar to a vegetable rague, soft vegetables, tender potato and rich spices. irresistible on its own or serve with pan fried sea bream and a squeeze of lemon
The story behind this recipeThis is a traditional Parsi dish that I learned from my Auntie in Gujarat. This year I had left my job as a chef in London and decided to spend 2 months traveling around India learning about Parsi food. Visiting relatives, gathering old family recipes, learning dishes and collecting all this information together to allow me to open a Parsi styled restaurant of my own in the UK in the near future.
I came back to the UK in February, I went straight to the Asian markets in London and bought all the vegetables I needed for this dish. I went to my grandmothers house and cooked this dish for her and other family members, all of whom have not had the chance to eat Parsi food for many years. the response I got from thee dish was so encouraging that I am very happy to include it in this competition.
