SPICY BRINJAL CURRY (Bihari Style)

INTRODUCTION

INGREDIENTS

I was first introduced to Bihari Curry when I visited my uncle in Raniganj on border of Bihar. He had a lot of Bihari workers in his workshop who would cook their daily curry . Abdul was one worker who was from Srikakulam but cooked curries Bihari style. If I am not forgetting there were couple of others. They would patiently start grinding all the spices and making pastes on a stone .Their work would start from plucking the fresh vegetables and then one would cut them and other would set about preparing the spices. It was a long process of patiently making a curry .My uncle who is one of the best cooks I have ever known, himself was all praise for the GREAT BIHARI CURRY. Even though I was not fully interested those days in intricate methods of cooking, I simply marveled at the heavenly wafting Aroma which would spread around. I have recreated that BIHARI MAGIC in the SPICY BRINJAL CURRY. I have taken liberty to omit and add a couple of things from the ingredients. I have omitted Mustard Oil as it may not be much agreeable to our southern palate.

Brijal (Bhartha Baigan variety large) 1 no.
OR
Sweet small brinjals 250 gms.
Tomatos 2 nos. (medium sized)
Onion 1 no ( medium)
Garlic 6 to 7 cloves
Red chillies 4 to 5 nos.
Turmeric whole 1/2" piece
Dil Seeds 1 pinch
Omam 1.5 pinch
Jeera 1 spoon
Poppy seeds 1.5 spoons
Dhania seeds 2 spoons
Fenugreek 1/4 spoon
Mustard 1/4 spoon
Onion seeds (if available) 1/2 spoon
Big Elaichi 1 no.
Maratti Moggu 4 to 5 nos.
Cloves 4 to 5 nos.
Cinnamon sticks 2 nos 1" size
Nutmeg (jajika) 1 small piece
Mango powder /Tamarind extract 3/4 spoon
Salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING
Oil 2 to 3 ladles
Mustard, Jeera, Fenugreek , Onion seeds all put together 1 .5 spoons

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Take about 30 ml of water in a Katora and soak. All the dry spices , chilli, Turmeric (pounded in small pieces), cinnamon, cloves, jeera, Onion seeds Dhania, Big Elaichi, Poppy seeds Maratti Moggu, Nutmeg Mustard, Fenugreek for at least one hour and make a paste of all the the spices in a mortar or in a mixi. But I would strongly advice to do it in a mortar. The paste should be thorough without any rough ingredients. This may take some time and patience and also careful handling. Now take onion and and Garlic, Crush and make a paste of both with stone if possible. Or else make a paste in Mixi. Set it aside. Dice tomatoes in small pieces. Cut brinjal just before tampering and keep this as the last job. Brinjal must be cut in pieces of about 1" to 1.5 " size. Take oil in a kadai and put the tempering spices. Heat on a medium to low flame. When Mustard splutters, add Tomatoes and turn for about three to four minutes Tomatoes would leave juice .Add Brinjal pieces and turn for about two minutes. Now add a cupful of water and salt.and cover the Kadai and let brinjals get cooked on medium flame. Check after four to five minutes .The brinjals get cooked very fast so you must ensure that they are 3/4 the cooked and not fully cooked. Now add the paste of Onion Garlic and turn the curry thrice or four times till all the Brinjal pieces are coated with paste. Add paste of wet spices now mix properly and add 1/2 to 3/4 the cup of water to make thick gravy. Set the flame on low and cover the kadai. Cook for another five minutes or so.Don't let gravy stick to bottom of Kadai. The brinjals would have cooked by now. Taste for salt. Now add Amchur powder or Tamarind paste and stir carefully so that it mixes with gravy properly. By now the whole house would be full of An exotic Aroma of Bihari Curry. Leave it aside for about half an hour for spices to set. Reheat and serve Piping hot. Bihari Curry is always spicy and hot. Enjoy with Roti or Rice. Generally Biharis enjoy all their curries with rice. Exception being dry Potato spicy curry.

Enjoy!!! 
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