Time for some Eggplant Shaak! A classic staple in the Patel household in NJ. Whenever we fly north and after we drop off our bags in our room at the in-laws, we head to the kitchen. Sarav and I immediately begin the spooning out of our favorite dishes that are almost always on hand in small Pyrex dishes, the roti in its silver metal roti container. We heat up our plates, sit down and gorge with our hands and maybe a fork for good measure.
Our daughter has participated in this ritual, she does enjoy her roti and some rice. She will try anything her Ba (grandmother) gives her. There is a very special and almost magical bond between these two women. And so, it is my duty as a daughter-in-law to carry on a tradition in the kitchen as best as I can.
I have been a Patel for five years and I am fairly confident with a handful of Gujarati dishes. Eggplant Shaak is very easy, all shaak are easy, once you know what you are doing. And for a white girl who grew up on meatloaf and tuna noodle casserole, I have to admit that I'm damn proud of what I know already. But most importantly, our daughter Edith needs to be familiar with these smells and flavors. These dishes carry the stories of her grandparents, and her father. She cannot and should not be denied these experiences. I know I will not be able to recreate many components of her Indian ancestry but the meals are something that will help her experience her rich, cultural makeup.
Having recently become a member or an Organic Share, I needed to map out the final resting place for all these new fruits and veggies that are filling up fridge and counter space. Indian recipes are a great resource, especially when two eggplants and a head of cauliflower are bestowed upon us. In this recipe I have used exactly one entire eggplant, it yielded enough shaak for us Patels to have at least one round of seconds and a small portion was donated to my neighbors, Indian food enthusiasts as well.
In order to make Ringan nu (Eggplant) Shaak you will need:
oil (2 tbsp)
mustard seed
cumin seed
1/2 - 1 whole eggplant, cubed
1/2 cup - 1 cup frozen pigeon peas
1-2 tomatoes (or a handful of heirloom grape tomatoes in this case)
salt (Kosher)
tumeric
cumin
chili powder
sugar
Ahh measurements... well I use the small spoon that lives in the masala dabba so for this recipe with a full eggplant I used 2 -3 spoonfuls each of mustard and cumin seed. Heat the oil on medium heat, add the seeds about 2-3 minutes after the oil. Don't let them burn, your objective is to season the oil. Once the seeds start "popping' and your kitchen is perfumed, add the eggplant, peas and tomatoes. Stir 'em up "real respectable like" and add some salt. (My mother-in-law adds more salt than you may be used to, I have come to enjoy its flavor over the years, so I add a serious pinch after every addition in my cooking.) Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes then add your masala mix.
Again, with the small spoon in the masala dabba, I add 1-2 spoonsfuls of ground cumin (jeera), tumeric and chili powder. My palate is a little weak when it comes to spice so I tend to
tread lightly with the chili powder as I want to enjoy the dish and not have to guzzle down milk. But 2 spoonfuls with this little spoon should not yield a "burning down the house" sensation in your mouth.
And now for the sugar. My father-in-law prefers the home cooking to be without sugar, my mother-in-law cannot not add it. Indian restaurants, according to my husband load it in their dishes. I added a scoop with my finger tips.
Mix all this up, turn down the heat to low, stir it every 5 minutes or so (to keep it from burning) and after 25 minutes, you should have a very soft, very flavorful mixture.
Serve it with rice and roti.
Tonight my husband will have a taste of his mother's kitchen, something that truly satisfies him and hopefully Edith will enjoy a lick or two, maybe even a bite. It feels great to have this dish down, it's like a no-brainer now, very straight forward and ever so delicious. Cheers!
Our daughter has participated in this ritual, she does enjoy her roti and some rice. She will try anything her Ba (grandmother) gives her. There is a very special and almost magical bond between these two women. And so, it is my duty as a daughter-in-law to carry on a tradition in the kitchen as best as I can.
I have been a Patel for five years and I am fairly confident with a handful of Gujarati dishes. Eggplant Shaak is very easy, all shaak are easy, once you know what you are doing. And for a white girl who grew up on meatloaf and tuna noodle casserole, I have to admit that I'm damn proud of what I know already. But most importantly, our daughter Edith needs to be familiar with these smells and flavors. These dishes carry the stories of her grandparents, and her father. She cannot and should not be denied these experiences. I know I will not be able to recreate many components of her Indian ancestry but the meals are something that will help her experience her rich, cultural makeup.
Having recently become a member or an Organic Share, I needed to map out the final resting place for all these new fruits and veggies that are filling up fridge and counter space. Indian recipes are a great resource, especially when two eggplants and a head of cauliflower are bestowed upon us. In this recipe I have used exactly one entire eggplant, it yielded enough shaak for us Patels to have at least one round of seconds and a small portion was donated to my neighbors, Indian food enthusiasts as well.
In order to make Ringan nu (Eggplant) Shaak you will need:
oil (2 tbsp)
mustard seed
cumin seed
1/2 - 1 whole eggplant, cubed
1/2 cup - 1 cup frozen pigeon peas
1-2 tomatoes (or a handful of heirloom grape tomatoes in this case)
salt (Kosher)
tumeric
cumin
chili powder
sugar
Ahh measurements... well I use the small spoon that lives in the masala dabba so for this recipe with a full eggplant I used 2 -3 spoonfuls each of mustard and cumin seed. Heat the oil on medium heat, add the seeds about 2-3 minutes after the oil. Don't let them burn, your objective is to season the oil. Once the seeds start "popping' and your kitchen is perfumed, add the eggplant, peas and tomatoes. Stir 'em up "real respectable like" and add some salt. (My mother-in-law adds more salt than you may be used to, I have come to enjoy its flavor over the years, so I add a serious pinch after every addition in my cooking.) Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes then add your masala mix.
Again, with the small spoon in the masala dabba, I add 1-2 spoonsfuls of ground cumin (jeera), tumeric and chili powder. My palate is a little weak when it comes to spice so I tend to
tread lightly with the chili powder as I want to enjoy the dish and not have to guzzle down milk. But 2 spoonfuls with this little spoon should not yield a "burning down the house" sensation in your mouth. And now for the sugar. My father-in-law prefers the home cooking to be without sugar, my mother-in-law cannot not add it. Indian restaurants, according to my husband load it in their dishes. I added a scoop with my finger tips.
Mix all this up, turn down the heat to low, stir it every 5 minutes or so (to keep it from burning) and after 25 minutes, you should have a very soft, very flavorful mixture.
Serve it with rice and roti.
Tonight my husband will have a taste of his mother's kitchen, something that truly satisfies him and hopefully Edith will enjoy a lick or two, maybe even a bite. It feels great to have this dish down, it's like a no-brainer now, very straight forward and ever so delicious. Cheers!
