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Veggie Lasagna


2004 or 5
It must have been my 34th birthday (maybe 35th, the old grey cells not being chipper like they used to; there are times, after I’ve tied one on, I can actually see them brandish white flags!) when I presented myself with a fancy Italian-make, gas-fired oven as a token to, well, reaching 34 (or 35). This was my first attempt at baking leaving alone baking an Italian dish. It turned out bellissimo. All right, the edges were a bit brown, toasted, er, burnt. Nothing that a clean chopping board and sharp knife could not handle. After all, I’ve spent years and years in the trenches of advertising. The least I have learned is how to put a nice border to a pretty layout.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 large aubergine (thinly sliced)
Chili powder
3 marrows (cut lengthwise)
Cracked pepper
Large bowl of frozen mixed veggies: peas, corn, cut beans, carrots
1 tsp Coleman’s mustard powder
12 clumps of frozen spinach
4 cloves smashed garlic
–

Béchamel sauce:
1 knob butter
1⁄2 ltr milk
25 gms flour
Dash of nutmeg powder
200 gms Paremsan cheese (grated)
Olive oil
Salt to taste
–

Shortening (To coat baking dish. Any other greasy thing like butter would do too).
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10 sheets of lasange (I used Barilla’s)
1 knob butter

HOW TO
Coat aubergines with chili powder and olive oil and salt.
Fry in olive oil till nicely brown / charred.
Keep aside.
–

Wipe frying pan clean.
Fry marrow till almost done.
Sprinkle fresh cracked pepper and salt.
Keep aside.
–

Wipe pan.
Fry mixed veggies till done.
Add mustard powder and salt during the frying.
–

Separately steam spinach with a wee bit of salt.
Add smashed garlic during the steaming.
Keep aside.
–

Béchamel sauce:
Heat milk till boiling.
At b. point add flour at intervals while stirring continuously to avoid flour clumps.
When mixture thickens, remove from fire.
Add nutmeg and salt to taste.
–

Arranging the lasange:
Coat baking dish with shortening.
Place two sheets of lasange at the bottom of dish (overlap if required).
Pour and spread a layer of Béchamel sauce. Arrange aubergines on it. Cover with a sprinkling of Paremsan cheese. Cover with two sheets of lasange.
Next, repeat B. sauce. Place the marrow. Repeat P. cheese. Cover with two l. sheets.
Again, a layer of B. sauce. Arrange the mixed vegetables. Repeat P. cheese. Cover with two l. sheets.
Finally, another layer of B. sauce. Spinach. P. cheese. Cover with last two l. sheets.
Finish off with ladling remaining B. sauce over the preparation.
Pay attention to the sides.
Sprinkle P. cheese all around.
Drop a knob of butter in the centre.
Slide into oven pre-heated at 176.6ºc (350ºF).
Give it 25-30 minutes till the B. sauce gets all creamy and the cheese on top is bubbly and brown.
Remove. Cool.
Serve with garlic bread.
Lots of chilled wine.
Enjoy!

June 3, 2005 tonywrites Leave a response , , , , , , , , ,

Roasted Aubergine Slices


January, 2005
Aubergines. Eggplants. Brinjals. Baingan. Any way you slice it, it’s one of my favourite vegetables. Especially when it’s coated with a few spices and fried. Only problem, the buggers suck up more oil than (insert name of fav. porn star here). Which is why I prefer to roast them. Same great taste without the oily smack. Noice!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
1 large aubergine
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
Olive oil
Salt to taste

HOW TO
Some cooks recommend a process to rid aubergine of its bitter taste. Cut aubergine into thick slices. Sprinkle with salt. Arrange in large flat dish. Place a weight on top. Leave for an hour; allowing b. juices to drain out. Then rinse well, gently squeeze out moisture, and pat dry. 

Or, if you’re the impatient type, just cut into thick slices and go (A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta eat!).
Pre-heat oven to 176.6ºC (350ºF).
Arrange slices in a roasting pan.
Sprinkle with powders: tumeric and chilli, and salt.
Drizzle with oil.
Rub the slices so both slices are evenly coated.
Into the over without a foil.
After 15 minutes, remove pan and flip slices for the other side to acquire charring/browning.
It should be done in 30-35 minutes.
You can eat it as a side dish to a meal.
I prefer to have it as the star feature in a baguette accompanied by wafer-thin slices of tomato, threads of olive oil, and dash salt/pepper.
Very noice!
Enjoy!!

January 2, 2005 tonywrites Leave a response , , , , , ,

Aubergine Pate


2003ish!
Made this in the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth and Cookie Tony was just getting off his knuckles. So I can’t clearly remember if it tasted all that good but since I wrote it down, it must have made an impression. Take a chance. But I’d suggest buying, along with the ingredients, a bottle of Maalox, just in case.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 large aubergine (a.k.a. eggplant and brinjal)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions (chopped fine)
2 tomatoes (chopped fine)
2 tsp oil (use twice)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp masala powder of choice
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

HOW TO
Roast aubergine on gas flame till skin peels and the pulp gets semi-cooked.
Away to clean cutting board; remove charred skin.
Retain pulp.
Allow to cool.
~~~
Whacamacalit? Tadka? Sauce paste? I dunno. Why not taste base?:
In skillet, heat half the oil.
Fry onions.
Add tomatoes, fry.
Add chili powder.
Then, masala powder.
Fry till spices release aroma.
Allow to cool.
~~~
Dump aubergine pulp and ‘tadka’ in blender.
Add wee bit of hot water.
Next, sugar and salt.
Blend away till creamy.
~~~
Add rest of oil to skillet (still coated with patina of taste base).
Dump in the stuff from blender.
Fry for two minutes on medium flame.
Done.
Spread on firm, hard-crusted bread.
Streak with a few threads of olive oil.
Enjoy!

August 31, 2003 tonywrites Leave a response , , , , , , , ,