Baingan Ka Salan

This recipe is courtesy of "Cooking With Chef Ashok" - Baingan Ka Salan

Part A- Paste for Salan

1. Peanuts - 1 handful
2. Sesame seeds/tahini - 2 tbsp
3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Jeera - 2 tsp
5. Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
6. 3-4 onions fried until brown
7. Dry red chillis - 2-3
8. Yoghurt - 1.5 cups
9. Water

IMPORTANT NOTE: if you are using tahini instead of sesame seeds then put it during the mixing process. NO NEED TO ROAST TAHINI.

1. Roast ingredients from 1 to 7 above. Let it cool
2. Put it in the mixer and add yoghurt and water to make it into a smooth paste (like a smoothie) and keep it aside.

Part B - Gravy for the Salan

1. Baingan - 1/2 kg whole slit from top
2. Kalonji - 1/2 tsp
3. Jeera - 1 tsp
4. Rai - 1/2 tsp
5. Oil - 3-4 tbsp
6. Onions - 3 finely chopped
7. Tomatoes- 3 finely chopped
8. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
10. Jeera powder - 1 tsp
11. Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp
12. Kashmiri mirch powder - 2 tsp
13. Red chillies -whole 2-3
14. Green chillies - whole 2-3
15. Garam masala - 2tsp
16. Coriander leaves - 1tbsp chopped
17. Kasuri methi - 1 tsp
18. Sugar (to temper) - 1-2 tsp

1. Heat oil in a pan and add baingan and fry it well. Add a 1tsp of turmeric powder and salt to taste.
2. Remove the baingan and leave it aside.
3. Heat oil in pan and add kalonji, jeera and Rai. Let them sputter.
4. Add onion and red chillies and cook it for a few minutes until light brown
5. Add ginger garlic paste and cook it for 2 mins
6. Add turmeric powder, jeera powder, dhaniya powder and Kashmiri mirchi powder and mix well
7. Add tomatoes and mix well and let it cook by closing the lid of the pan.
8. Once tomatoes are cooked properly as the paste prepared in Part-A above and mix well and cook on low flame while mixing.
9. Add 2-3 cups of water and mix well and salt to taste.
10. Add the fried baingans and close the lid and let it cook for 5-7 mins
11. Add garam masala and mix well and cook for 1 minute.
12. Add coriander leaves and kasuri methi for garnishing.

Serve with pulav or roti

Laal Mirch Ka Murgh (Chicken in red chilli gravy)

 This recipe is courtesy of Ranveer Brar - https://youtu.be/0zGkZdD_f1Q

Ingredients

For Paste (#1)

1. 1-inch Cinnamon stick, smoked,
2. 3-4 Bay leaf
3. 4-5 Cloves,
4. 2 Green cardamom,
5. 2 tbsp Degi red chilli powder (MDH), smoked,
6. 1 inch Ginger, roughly sliced,
7. 9-10 Garlic cloves,
8. 12-15 Dry kashmiri OR bedgi OR Methania dried red chillies, soaked,
9. Salt to taste,
10. 2 tbsp Mustard oil, smoked

For Marination (#2)

1. 1 kg Chicken (thigh/drumstick) 
2. 1 tbsp Tender coriander stem, chopped,
3. ½ tbsp Ginger Garlic paste,
4. Salt to taste,
5. 1 tsp Mustard oil

For Laal Mirch ke Chicken (#3)

1. 2-3 tbsp Mustard oil
2. 1 tbsp Sunflower/vegetable Oil
3. 2 no. Cloves
4. Prepared Paste (#1)
5. Marinated Chicken
6. 1 cup Curd, beaten
7. Prepared Tempering (#4)

For Tempering (optional) (#4)

1. 1 tsp Ghee
2. ½ tbsp Coriander seeds, roughly crushed
3. 1 tsp Chili flakes

Method

For Paste

1. In a bowl, add smoked cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves and green cardamom.
2. In a pan, add degi red chilli powder and roast until smoky in fragrance.
3. Add tossed degi red chili powder in the same bowl, add ginger, garlic, soaked kashmiri/methanol red chilli, salt to taste and smoked mustard oil.
4. Transfer into a grinder jar and grind it into a smooth paste.
5. Keep it aside for further use.

For Marination

1. In a bowl, add chicken, tender coriander stems, ginger garlic paste, salt to taste, mustard oil and mix everything well.
2. Keep it aside to rest for 15-20 minutes.

For Laal Mirch Ke Chicken

1. In a sauce pot or lagan, add mustard oil, oil, once it's hot, add cloves and let it splutter.
2. Add the prepared paste and saute for 1-2 minutes on moderate heat.
3. Add marinated chicken and saute. Add curd and mix it well.
4. Cover it with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes on low flame until chicken is tender.
5. Add water and prepared tempering and stir it well.
6. Turn off the flames and place the coal in a small bowl, add cinnamon stick, and ghee. Cover it with a lid and keep it aside for 4-5 minutes.
7. Transfer it to a serving dish and garnish it with a chopped coriander sprig.
8. Serve hot with roti or rice

For Tempering

1. In a pan, add ghee, once it's hot, add crushed coriander seeds, chili flakes and toss it well.
2. Keep it aside for further use.