I'm home!! It's been over four months, but I have finished my study abroad semester and am back in the US of A. My time abroad was incredible, mostly because of the wonderful students I was traveling with and the people I met along the way.
One of the things I missed most while abroad was cooking in my own kitchen. At first, it was definitely nice to have my host parents to always cook for me - it felt kindof like I was back in high school when I would come home to my mom's home cooked meals every night. But by mid-semester there were dishes I craved that I knew I could only make for myself, and so I have been very entertained cooking up new fun dishes and old classics since I've been back.
While abroad, one of my goals was to learn how to make at least one dish in each country and homestay. I was successful (except that I lost one of my notebooks so I'm missing one of the recipes!). On my quest to now recreate all of the dishes at home, I started by making this simple eggplant dish that I learned in India. I made it here for myself for lunch one day, as a test try before I make it for my family to taste. I used a different kind of eggplant than my host mom in India used (she used little eggplants, definitely will be looking out for them at farmers markets). There are also certain ingredients that Indians use in every dish (black mustard seeds and dal), that I don't have in my kitchen yet, but I'm going to stop by an Indian food store in New York or Iselin so that when I make this recipe again it will be really authentic!
I was also super excited about this recipe because I always fail at making eggplant, and so maybe I've learned the secret!
This picture is of the version I made with my host mom in India (and a picture of my Indian kitchen - so many spices!):
And then this is the version that I made back home:
Ingredients:
(This is what I used in my American version. I'll put up the Indian version ingredients next time I make it).
How to Make It:
Soak the eggplant slices in a bowl of water. While they are soaking: In a pan that's large enough so that all eggplant can fit in one layer, heat the oil on medium to high heat. You want a good bit of oil, and you want that pan to be HOT. When the pan is really hot, drain the eggplant and sauté/fry it on the pan. Let them cook for a really long time. (Remember when I mentioned the secret to making eggplant? Well this is it - hot pan, long cook time). When they start to brown/look cooked maybe after 5-10 minutes, add in the salt, coriander powder, and chili powder. Stir, and add water or more oil as needed. Let them brown and cook even more. The eggplant should be a little mushy. Enjoy with rice or naan!
One of the things I missed most while abroad was cooking in my own kitchen. At first, it was definitely nice to have my host parents to always cook for me - it felt kindof like I was back in high school when I would come home to my mom's home cooked meals every night. But by mid-semester there were dishes I craved that I knew I could only make for myself, and so I have been very entertained cooking up new fun dishes and old classics since I've been back.
While abroad, one of my goals was to learn how to make at least one dish in each country and homestay. I was successful (except that I lost one of my notebooks so I'm missing one of the recipes!). On my quest to now recreate all of the dishes at home, I started by making this simple eggplant dish that I learned in India. I made it here for myself for lunch one day, as a test try before I make it for my family to taste. I used a different kind of eggplant than my host mom in India used (she used little eggplants, definitely will be looking out for them at farmers markets). There are also certain ingredients that Indians use in every dish (black mustard seeds and dal), that I don't have in my kitchen yet, but I'm going to stop by an Indian food store in New York or Iselin so that when I make this recipe again it will be really authentic!
I was also super excited about this recipe because I always fail at making eggplant, and so maybe I've learned the secret!
This picture is of the version I made with my host mom in India (and a picture of my Indian kitchen - so many spices!):
And then this is the version that I made back home:
Ingredients:
(This is what I used in my American version. I'll put up the Indian version ingredients next time I make it).
- Olive oil or sunflower oil (that's up to you how much you want to use)
- 1 large eggplant or several small eggplants, sliced into small pieces
- salt
- 3 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
How to Make It:
Soak the eggplant slices in a bowl of water. While they are soaking: In a pan that's large enough so that all eggplant can fit in one layer, heat the oil on medium to high heat. You want a good bit of oil, and you want that pan to be HOT. When the pan is really hot, drain the eggplant and sauté/fry it on the pan. Let them cook for a really long time. (Remember when I mentioned the secret to making eggplant? Well this is it - hot pan, long cook time). When they start to brown/look cooked maybe after 5-10 minutes, add in the salt, coriander powder, and chili powder. Stir, and add water or more oil as needed. Let them brown and cook even more. The eggplant should be a little mushy. Enjoy with rice or naan!
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