indian eggplant potato curry with turmeric split pea rice and spiced yogurt soup

indian eggplant potato curry with turmeric split pea rice and spiced yogurt soup

An authentic Indian eggplant potato curry is served over turmeric split pea rice and topped with a spiced yogurt soup.

My mom goals involve having saag paneer be my child’s favorite food, and guys, I’M FAILING.

Instead I have a child who eats peanut butter crackers for breakfast, French toast sticks for lunch, broccoli “flowers” for dinner and throws all of her burrito on the floor.

I mean,

I just,

I. CAN’T.

I know this is a phase (or so you all tell me), but I am hellbent on knocking some sense into that child’s taste buds and my strategy for doing so is by “forcing” myself to make three course Indian dinners on the regular.

Twist my arm, why don’tcha.

I actually don’t recollect Remy eating any of this (maybe a speck of rice?) so the joke’s on me.

Buuuuttt I got to make a three course Indian meal for dinner! And eat the leftovers!! Somehow I feel like I still won in the end.

If you are facing a similar picky taste bud plight, then get thee to a supermarket! Errr, actually you’ll probably need to hit up a specialty shop to source some of these ingredients. Or at least do a quick Amazon shop. But it’s worth it!!

Making three recipes just to sit at your dining room table and eat may seem daunting, but these actually come together fairly quickly and are pretty hands off. My favorite part was the spiced yogurt soup. I really can’t explain why, but it was something about the fresh curry leaf infusion that made it super addicting. It really was a perfect pairing with the eggplant curry. The flavors just complemented each other so well.

And, I mean, they do say that sometimes you need to introduce a kid to a food twenty times to get them to like it. Knowing what I know about Remy’s tastebuds (and stubborn personality), I foresee so much Indian food in my future…get ready.

Eggplant Potato Curry with Turmeric Split Pea Rice and Spiced Yogurt Soup

 

An authentic Indian eggplant potato curry is served over turmeric split pea rice and topped with a spiced yogurt soup.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the eggplant potato curry

• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp asafetida
• 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1½ tsp turmeric
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp medium red chili powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 handfuls cilantro, coarsely chopped

For the masala paste

• 2 jalapenos, seeds removed
• 1.5 inch ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• pinch of salt

For the turmeric split pea rice

• 5 oz yellow lentils

• 8 oz basmati rice

• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp butter

For the spiced yogurt soup

• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
• ½ inch turmeric root, peeled and roughly ghopped
• 16 fresh curry leaves, divided
• 2 handfuls of fresh cilantro, minced and divided
• 1¼ tsp cumin seeds, divided
• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp chickpea flour
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbs sugar
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds

Instructions

For the curry

1. First, to make the masala paste, combine the jalapenos and the ginger in a blender and pulse until pureed into a paste. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, remove from the heat and add the asafetida, eggplant, and potatoes. Stir to combine then return to the heat. Stir in the masala paste, turmeric, salt, chili powder, coriander, cumin, and ¾ cup hot water. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to low and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and simmer for another 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and half of the fresh cilantro, then cover the pan and simmer for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow to rest, covered, for about 10 minutes to allow the spices to infuse. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro before serving.

For the rice

1. Rinse the lentils at least 3 times in hot water, then allow to soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Rinse twice more in warm water, then drain.
2. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the lentils and rice. Fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the salt, turmeric, and 4 cups water.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter. Top the pan with aluminum foil, place the lid on top of that, and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Allow to cook for 6-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Stir gently with a fork to fluff it and serve with the curry.

For the spiced yogurt soup

1. Crush the jalapeno, turmeric, 6 of the curry leaves, 1 handful of cilantro, and ¼ tsp cumin seeds together in a spice blender to make a fine paste.
2. Whisk together the yogurt and chickpea flour in a large pot. Add 2 cups of cold water and whisk until smooth. Place over medium heat and stir in the paste you just made, salt, and sugar. Cook for 4-5 minutes to heat through, then remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the red pepper flakes, remaining
4. tsp cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start to pop, add in the remaining curry leaves and the remaining cilantro.
5. Slowly, pour a little bit of the yogurt mixture into the spiced oil. Stir to combine, then pour into the pot with the rest of the yogurt. Stir again to combine. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and combine.
6. Serve over the eggplant potato curry.

source:https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/2017/08/eggplant-potato-curry-with-turmeric-split-pea-rice-and-yogurt-soup.html