Ringan Bateka Methi ne Tuvar Lilva nu Shaak

My submission for Poojas VoW Brinjal Event.

Ringan Bateka Methi ne Tuvar Lilva nu Shaak literally translates to Brinjal Potato Methi and Green Tuvar Vegetables (Sabji). Served with Kachumber no salad(Cucumber) ane patli dal.

Brinjal is a typical winter vegetable in Gujarat. Ringan no ollo is a very famous Gujarati bhartha style dish that usually evokes winter for me. While ollo is well known , ive made this lesser known Brinjal Potato Gujarati combination.

What is unusual about this recipe is the addition of fresh Methi leaves and Tuvar Lilva(Green Tuvar), fresh lime juice and of course mandatory in gujarat - sugar. Sometimes I crave the fresh taste of this simple , almost rustic dish from my childhood as a break from the masala gravies i seem to make so often.

Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
3 Long Japanese Style Brinjal
2 Medium Potatoes
1 Small Onion
1/2 cup Tuvar Lilva( From the frozen section of the Indian Store)
1/2 cup Fresh or Frozen Methi( Fenugreek) Leaves ( Donot use Kasoori Methi)
Salt
2 tbsp dhana jeeru powder
Red Chilli Powder to taste
Lemon Juice
Sugar

For the Dhana Jeeru Powder: Take 1 tbsp jeera in a Skillet and toast until you can smell the jeera (cumin). Add 1 tbsp of dhania or coriander seeds and toast for about a minute more. Powder finely in a spice jar or your mixie.

Method:
1. Slice the Brinjal (Ringan) into 2 inch long sections. Divide each section into half and then proceed to slice thinly. Peel the potatoes and slice into similar pieces ( Long and thin). Slice the Onion into long and thin pieces.
2. Take as much oil as you are comfortable with(:)-The more the better in this case Notice how cleverly i never mention OIL in the ingredient list) in your saute pan.
3. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add all the rest of the ingredients. The order is not particularly important. Add all the spices and saute for about 10 minutes.
4. For the last five minutes , cover with a lid or a plate and let steam. I find that the frozen Tuvar Lilva is for some reason a lot tougher than the fresh ones we used back home. So cover with a lid until you are happy with the softness of the tuvar.

Now the observant might ask, where is the lemon and the sugar? Top the shaak or sabji with fresh lemon juice and Sugar. Im not comfortable with a lot of sugar. I found that a light hand with the sugar and just a squeeze of lemon juice adds a whole another dimension of flavor.

Taste ek dum sakkad thai jai!

I tried to make Bajra rotlas, a thick rustic chappati type bread - which would have accompanied this shaak beautifully. I even found this lovely picture tutorial from Kajal to make them. But alas, my bajra rotlas turned out to be DOA. So ive stuck to chappatis. You could also serve them with puris.