Eggplant & Green Pepper Gojju

It's been a long time since I posted anything. Life suddenly has become very hectic with M starting daycare, my in-laws leaving and my job getting busier than usual. Blogging has taken a back seat, unfortunately. I hope to post some recipes at least once in a while. Thank you, my dear pals, for enquiring about me. I try to keep up to date with my blogger buddies and visit as many as I can, whenever I get a chance though I don't leave comments each time. Yeah, I've become one of those ghost readers! :( Don't be surprised, though, if you get a long comment from me once in a while, covering all the posts that I missed commenting on! Happy (belated) Yugadi and Gudi Padwa to all who celebrated it. We have a custom of eating bevu-bella (neem leaves & jaggery) on Yugadi to symbolize life's bitter and sweet moments. May the New Year bring more bella (sweetness) than bevu in your lives.

Little M started with her daycare a few weeks ago. I found this wonderful lady who takes care of M in her house during the day. The fact that she wears spectacles (both my mom & mil do) seemed to help because M took to her immediately and the one time when my mil did not wear specs, M refused to go to her! M is able to sit up and play now. She tries to stand at every opportunity and if held by hand, tries to walk too, with the widest smile on her face!

End of baby update and on to some Kannadiga food now! Here is a recipe for one of my favourite curries, the gojju. Gojjus are usually coconut based curries with jaggery and tamarind, made with some particular vegetables and fruits. Their tangy yet mildly sweet flavour makes them a good accompaniment to rice, rotis and even bread. Bendekai (Bhindi) gojju is my all time favorite. Green pepper and onion gojju comes a close second. This recipe here is a variation of the latter, with the addition of eggplants.



Ingredients:
Eggplants - 7-8 small cut into pieces
Green peppers - 2 chopped
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Jaggery - 1 Tbsp
Water - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Tadka:
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Grind:
Sesame seeds- 1 tsp roasted
Coconut - 1/2 cup (fresh shredded or powder)
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Sambar Powder/Madras Curry Powder - 1 tsp
Green chillies- 3
Rice or Dalia - 1 tsp

Method:
In a pan, do the tadka. Add the vegetables and fry for a few minutes. Add salt and water. Cook covered until the vegetables are cooked. Add the ground masala and bring to a boil. Add jaggery. Add more salt or sambar powder, if required.