Cooking with Shail

Hello!! The title of the recipe explains the nature of my dish. Baigan ka bharta and Bajra (Millet flour) ka rotla is a classic kathiawadi gujrati desi dish. Specially made during winters baigan ka bharta is made using baigan/eggplant. The baigan used for making this dish is available abundantly during winters. It is is big and round like a balloon and not the small and thin ones. Bajra is specially used during winters as it will keep you warm and help you beat the winter chills. The millet will also keep you energetic during winter. Baigan ka bharta and bajra ka rotla with garlic chutney is a very tasty and delicious combination. Today I am posting recipe of both baigan ka bharta and bajra ka rotla. Traditionally the eggplant is roasted directly on low flame till it is burnt from all sides. I have used the easier option by cooking it in the pressure cooker. Enjoy this winter with this classic kathiawadi combination…

Ingredients:

For Rotla:

Bajra flour – 3 cups

Garlic paste – 1 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Water – as required

Salt as per taste

Ghee – 3 tbsp

For Baigan ka bharta:

Baigan/Eggplant – 2 large

Hing/Asafoetida – 1 tsp

Spring Onions (white and green part both) (finely chopped) – 2 cups (if green spring onions not available then regular onion)

Tomatoes ( finely chopped) – 2 cups

Ginger paste – 1 tbsp

Green Garlic paste – 2 tbsp (if green garlic not available then regular garlic)

Red Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Cumin-Coriander powder – 2 tbsp

Garam Masala – 1 tbsp

Coriander Leaves (chopped) – 1/4 cup

Salt as per taste

Oil – 4 tbsp

Method:

For Rotla:

1) Sieve the bajra flour. In this add the salt, garlic paste and oil and mix it well. Start adding the water and knead a soft dough. While kneading the bajra dough you have press with palm pull the dough outward and then fold it back in. This stretching will make the dough smooth as bajra tends to dry out easily. Use this dough immediately to make the rotlas. you do not have to keep it for rest. Once the dough is ready wet your palms with water and make 3 balls out of this dough. You have to keep the dough and balls wet all the time from the upper side so that it does not dry. Roll the balls by dusting with bajra flour into 7-8 inches thick rotlas.

2) Take a tawa (regular roti tawa) and heat in till bit warm. Now place the rolled out bajra rotla on the tawa and apply water on the upper side while the lower side is cooking on low flame. Cook one side lightly till small dots appear. Now turn and cook completely on other side on medium flame. Now cook the lower side (which was lightly cooked initially) directly on the flame using tongs. At this time make high so that the rotlas will puff up.

3) Apply ghee on one side and keep aside. Prepare all rotlas this way.

For baigan ka bharta:

1) Peel the skin off the eggplant. Chop the eggplant and pressure cook it for 6-7 whistles. Once done mash the eggplant and keep aside.

2) In a wok add oil. Once warm add the hing/asafoetida. Now add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for few seconds till the rawness is gone.

3) Now add the onions and saute till translucent. Then add the tomatoes and cook for few minutes. In this add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin-coriander powder, garam masala and salt and cook till oil separates. Mash this mixture lightly.

4) Now add the mashed eggplant and coriander leaves and mix it all together mashing it lightly. Let it cook for a minute or so on low flame and keep it covered.

5) Serve hot with rotlas as prepared above.