Recipe to keep the wife's wrath at bay

It was time to make a decision. We could either buy a Microwave oven or an Oven-Toaster-Griller (OTG). Our teeny kitchen could accommodate only one of the two bulky devices. Friends and family listed the many benefits of a Microwave: how we could heat food in a jiffy, and how days of drinking cold chai would be history.

Then I remembered the times I’d wistfully flipped pages of cookbooks when I read the words, “Pre-heat oven to...” The choice was made. We would buy an OTG.

The wife was supportive and even offered to help me transport the oven. It was only when I was unpacking the box that she warned: “If you don’t use that thing to make something every week, I’m going to pack it up and put it in the attic!”

This time, when I came across a recipe that started with ‘Pre-heat the oven to...’, I was prepared. The dish was Bhara Paneer Baingan. While the preparation looked interesting, the combination of the two ingredients didn’t seem quite right. The proof would be in the bhara baingan, I decided.

Ingredients
Brinjal - 1/2kg
Onion - 2, chopped
Capsicum - 1, finely chopped
Tomato - 1, finely chopped
Paneer - 1/4kg
Ginger - 1tbsp, grated
Chilli powder - 3/4tsp
Garam masala - 1tsp
Lemon juice - 1tbsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 4tbsp

I picked up a large brinjal (the kind used in baingan ka bharta), unsure of whether this was the variety, shape and size I was supposed to use. After glancing at the recipe again, I figured this would have to do.

Here’s why: According to the recipe, I had to scoop out the flesh off the brinjal to be able to cook it with the rest of the filling. This would then be stuffed back into the brinjal shell and baked. This process seemed less arduous with one large brinjal than 10-12 smaller ones.

Scooping the flesh turned out relatively simple with a large spoon. Finely chopping up the flesh was more time consuming. I chopped up onions, capsicum and tomato, and roughly grated the cubes of paneer.

I set the oven to 190 degrees celcius and set the timer for 10min (this, I now proudly say, is ‘pre heating the oven’). Meanwhile, I heated 2tbsp oil in a kadai and added the onion, stirring vigorously to ensure they didn’t burn. After about three minutes I put in the ginger and fried the mix for a minute or so.

I then added the chilli powder and garam masala. The original recipe recommends the use of red pepper and coriander powder, but I had none at home. The substitutes worked just fine. Immediately adding the brinjal pulp, I turned the flame to medium and put in a little water. It takes around 10min for the brinjal to cook properly.

Next, I added chopped tomato and capsicum, followed by lemon juice and salt, and mixed it well. The filling was now ready.

I scooped it back into the brinjal shells and placed them on the hot baking tray.

Sprinkling the remaining oil on the shells, I then covered them with aluminium foil. The tray went back into the oven for 30min. When the oven ‘ting’ed, I removed the foil and set the timer for 10min.

For a dish this simple to make, bhara paneer baingan looks rather elaborate. The paneer I used was a bit chewy. Good quality paneer would have improved the texture. Personally, I still feel brinjal and paneer are not a happy combination. But that’s irrelevant. The wife said she liked it. And the oven stays in the kitchen, for now.