Dish of Eggplants with Methi
(click to enlarge)

Eggplants with Methi


India - Bengal   -   Methi Begun
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 6 side
***
40 min
Yes		 This flavorful curry of eggplant and fenugreek greens is popular in Bengal. It is a very simple recipe which works well as a side dish or as a light vegetarian main dish with rice - if you don't mind slightly bitter greens (see Note-6).

1
1
3
2
1/2
1/4
2/3
#
#

T
t
t
t
Methi Greens (1)  
Eggplants (2)
Chili, green (3)
Mustard Oil (4)
Kalongi (Nigella)
Methi Seeds (1)
Salt
PREP   -   (40 min (mostly stripping greens))
  1. Rinse METHI. Pick off leaves and tender tips, discarding tough stems. If there are immature seed pods, take them too (they are so long an thin they look like blades of grass. You should end up with somewhere near 10 ounces (see Note-6).
  2. Bunch up the Methi and, holding tightly, slice the bunch thin with a very sharp knife. This is easier and more consistent than chopping, but use care - blood is not an authentic ingredient in this dish.
  3. Cut EGGPLANTS as you wish - this varies with the cook. For the photo example I cut into pieces roughly 3/4 inch on a side. There is no need to peel these eggplants. If you will not be frying them immediately, hold in water acidulated with Lemon Juice or Citric Acid.
  4. Split CHILIS lengthwise from under the cap to the tip. Mix with Kalongi and Methi Seeds.
RUN   -   (15 min)
  1. Drain Eggplants if they have been held in water.
  2. ONLY IF using Mustard Oil ( Note-4), heat in the sauté pan until the first trace of smoke, then turn off heat and let cool just a little.
  3. In a spacious sauté pan heat Oil quite hot. Stir in Chili mix just until aromatic.
  4. Stir in Eggplants and fry stirring until they are cooked through and getting quite soft. Add a little water if it seems too dry, especially if the eggplants were not held in water.
  5. Stir in Methi leaves and Salt. Fry stirring over moderate heat until Methi is wilted and cooked through (3 to 5 minutes).
  6. Serve hot with steamed long grain rice or Chapatis.
NOTES:

  1. Methi Greens:

      Methi is Fenugreek. You may be familiar with the seeds, used as a spice, but in India, the Near and Middle East, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Armenia and Georgia, the greens are much used. Given that ethnic mix, you can be sure there is no shortage of fresh methi greens here in Los Angeles. For details see our Fenugreek page.

  2. Eggplant:

      I use the small Indian eggplants which are very available here in Southern California, but Italian, Japanese or similar thin skinned eggplants will work fine. For details see our Eggplants page.

  3. Chili:

      The Indian green chilis sold around here are often too mild, and not always available, so I use Serranos, which are highly available in North America. For details see our Indian Chilis.

  4. Mustard Oil:

      This is the traditional cooking oil of Bengal and north central India. It is handled differently from other oils. Mustard oil is heated in the pan with no other ingredients until it reaches a temperature where the first wisps of smoke appear (about 480°F/250°C). Immediately take it off the heat and allow to cool to a more reasonable frying temperature (around 360°F/180°C) before adding other ingredients. This procedure removes the acrid taste of the raw oil and renders it quite pleasant. Mustard oil is available in markets serving an Indian community. It will always be labeled "For Massage Use Only" due to lack of FDA approval, based on reasons no longer considered valid. For details see our Mustard Oil page.

  5. Methi Seeds:

      This is common Fenugreek seed, found in the spices section of most markets. For details see our Fenugreek page.

  6. Comments:

      There is no fixed ration between Methi and Eggplant. The recipe given here is at the high limit for Methi. Persons unaccustomed to bitter greens may wish to increase the Eggplant and reduce the Methi a bit. A few recipes add a little Jaggery (unrefined sugar) to counter the bitterness. Many recipes add "a pinch" of Turmeric, but this has no effect on the bitterness.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
isv_epmethi1 140511 inet var   -   www.clovegarden.com
©Andrew Grygus - agryg@aaxnet.com - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page is permitted.