Nita Mehta is a household name, thanks to her expertise with food and flavours. A Gold Medalist in M.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), she has written more than 400 books on various topics including more than 350 best selling cookery books. Her book "Flavours of Indian Cooking" won the Best Asian Cookbook Award at the Versailles (Paris) World Cookbook Fair.
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Hyderabadi Salan
 
 
Prepration: 15 mins.
Cooking: 21 mins.
Serves 4 Cal/Ser 117
 
Ingredients
5-6 thick green chillies, 1 thin, long brinjal
3 tbsp roasted peanuts - grind to a paste with ½ cup water
3 tbsp oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera), 1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai), some curry leaves
2 onions - ground to a paste
2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp dry mango powder (amchoor)
¼ tsp garam masala
1 cup ready-made tomato puree
½ tsp ginger paste
 
Method
1. Slit chillies, remove seeds. Rub ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp vinegar. Cut brinjal into round slices, sprinkle salt. After 15 minutes, wash and pat dry vegetables.
2. Mix 1 tbsp oil, brinjal and chillies. Spread on a greased tawa. Put tawa on high rack. Grill for 5 minutes.
3. Microwave 2 tbsp oil, jeera, rai, curry leaves, ginger-paste and onions with all spices together for 7 minutes.
4. Add tomato puree. Microwave for 4 minutes.
5. Add peanut paste, 1 cup water, brinjal and mirchi. Mix. Microwave covered for 5 minutes. Serve.