Some Odiya Roasted Dishes - Brinjal and Tomato Poda

Hi there! I am back from my blogging break. It's been a while with lot of exciting things that I would like to share with everyone. Will do so in my next post. Till then, enjoy these healthy recipes from my kitchen to yours. Look forward to hear from everyone around and catch up.

In Oriya household, lunch is heavy while dinner is light. Lunch includes rice, dal with or without a non-veg item and two to three accompaniment dishes. One of the accompaniment dish can be xyz poda (aka roasted xyz) where xyz can be brinjal or tomato, for example. I did not quite cherish them earlier but I am craving for them now. Considering our effort to eat healthy and have more variety, this is a good option to try out. Maa should be proud of me now, I hope! :)

My food habits have changed so much in the last 4-5 years, almost akin to the out-of-body experience. You get the picture, right? ;) Maa and Baba were shocked on their recent visit. Maa kept on saying "Now you eat it :D You have wasted so much of this in your childhood..hmmp", "Where did you learn this?", "How can you eat this?" :) I took some of my childhood-forceful-eating revenge on Maa as well by making her eat asparagaus and she just refused to take another bite..you should have seen the joy on my niece's face on finding someone else sharing her dislike for asparagaus. Food constitutes about 75% of all my memories, I guess! :))

Before I divert too much, let's get to the recipe for Baigana Poda (aka Roasted eggplant) and Tomato Poda (aka Roasted Tomato). Sorry, no pictures available right now. However, when I make them next time, I will sure to click a pic and include it here.

Baigana Poda (aka Roasted eggplant)

Ingredients  
Makes 4servings

Eggplant - 1 large
Garlic - 2-3 cloves (FYI - Garlic pod is the grouping of the garlic gloves)
Mustard oil - few drops
Chopped Onion - 1/2 small or 1/4 medium
Grated ginger - 1 tsp
Heavy cream - 2 to 3 tbsp, as per taste
Chopped Green chilli - 2-3
Salt, as per taste

Method

• Do not make this with cold eggplant. Make sure it has reached room temperature before trying out the rest of the steps. Else it will not roast well.
• Using a fork, poke holes in the eggplant. If possible, make thin slots and place cloves of garlic in the slot
• Brush the eggplant very lightly with few drops of mustard oil.
• Roast on high heat on the stove till the peel burns. Continue to roast on low heat for the eggplant and the garlic to cook.
• Alternatively, broil in oven for 20 mins, turning side after 10 mins. Or, cook at 400 degrees F for 20-30 mins.
• Keep it aside for 5-10 mins for it to cool down a little. Wrap it in aluminium foil - I have found that makes it easier to peel the skin. Though, remove the garlic and keep it aside.
• Remove the burnt peel and mash the remaining portion of the eggplant.
• Add salt, chopped onion, grated ginger, roasted garlic, heavy cream and chopped green chilli. Mix it well.
• You can add a few drops of mustard oil for added flavor. You can also add aloo bharta (Heat oil. Add cumin seed, chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste and mashed potato. Cook till it stops sticking to the side of the utensil.) and mix it well.

Update on 05/04/2012 - Adding the pic - long overdue. :)