Tepsi Baytinjan#EattheWorld

Tepsi Baytinjan, a very popular Iraqi casserole dish, usually served with rice. The main ingredient of the dish is aubergine/brinjal/eggplant (baytinjan translated means aubergine/brinjal/eggplant). Similar to moussaka, the dish consists of layers of vegetables and meat, covered in a sauce and baked.
Join us in Eat the World..as we celebrate Christmas - Secret Santa party, wherein we are asked to make a recipe of that blog of any recipe post with #EattheWorld. 

I am given Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm and I have chosen Tepsi Baytinjan. 

Check the above link for the original recipe.  I have made just two minor changes in the recipe- added curry powder to the meatballs and other is that I rolled the meatballs in the eggplant slice. I took a small size dish -6" square dish it was small for the quantity, while baking the sauce spilled over so take a 7" dish for baking for this much quantity. You can used lamb or mutton mince to make this dish.

Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients
1 Medium Eggplant- sliced into thin slices
1 Medium Onion - sliced
2 Medium Tomatoes - sliced
3 + 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
250 Grams Beef mince
1/2 Teaspoon Curry Powder
1 Medium Potato - sliced into roundles
Olive oil as required
Salt & Black pepper - to taste
250 Ml Tomato Sauce 
Method

Grease a 7 inch deep baking dish and set aside. 

Heat about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over med high heat. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides in the skillet.
Season the potato slices with salt and pepper and brown in the same skillet on each side until golden but not necessarily cooked through.
Place the onion into the skillet and cook until softened and browned. Layer over the potatoes. Layer the tomato slices over the top.
Mix the remaining garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper into the minced beef. Form into meatballs 1-2" oval shaped. Add more oil to the same skillet and brown the meatballs all over.

Lay a eggplant slice and place a meatball in it. 

Roll it until the meatball is covered.

Combine half of the garlic with the tomato sauce and pour over the casserole.

Pour the sauce over it and garnish with parsley.

Baked it in a preheated at 180°C, for about 35-45 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice.

Labels: Casserole, Meatball, Eggplant, Potato, Baked, Eat the World, Iraq, International Cuisine 


Each month a group of us join Evelyne of CulturEatz as she travels to different countries to Eat the World.  This month it's secret Santa wherein we can choose any dish by the blog assigned to us.

Check out all the wonderful recipe exchanges as we celebrate the Holidays. Everybody picked a fellow Eat the World member in secret and was asked to make a recipe from any past ETW posts. Share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

Pandemonium Noshery: Ottolenghi’s Burnt Eggplant Salad 

Evelyne at Cultureatz: Gromperekichelcher: Potato Fritters from Luxembourg 

Sneha’s Recipe: Baytinjan 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Hadgi Badah iraqi cardamom cookies 

Culinary Adventures with Cam: Iraqi Lamb Stew

Vangi Bath/Eggplant (Brinjal) Rice#Foodieextravaganza

This is a combo dish, using rice and vangi which is eggplant in Karnataka, a complete vegan, gluten free meal. Have this with any raita and enjoy this unique, awesome rice dish originating South India - Karnataka.
Ingredients
2 Cups Rice
1 Big Long Eggplant/Brinjal – cut into big pieces
1" Cinnamon stick
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
½ Teaspoon Mustard seeds
A Sprig Curry Leaves s
2 Tablespoons Chopped Coriander leaves
Salt to taste
½ Cup Oil
2½ Tablespoons Homemade Vangi Bath Masala 

Method

Cook the rice and spread in a wide bowl. Each grain of the cooked rice must be separate but soft.

Add ¾ of the prepared powder and salt to the cooled rice. Mix Well gently.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cashews and curry leaves. Lower the flame and add chopped brinjal pieces, little salt and mix it well and close the lid. Keep stirring gently every few minutes and cook well without adding any water. Once the brinjal is cooked well add the remaining powder and stir well. Finally add the rice and cook for couple of minutes and add the chopped coriander leaves. 

Serve with fresh curd and enjoy. 

My Notes

Use any type of black or purple variety of eggplant/brinjal you wish. 
Adjust the vangi bath masala according to your taste and spicyness required.

Labels: Foodie Extravaganza Party, Vegan, Gluten free, South Indian, Karnataka, Eggplant ,Brinjal, Rice, Main course, Healthy, No Onion No Garlic, Vrat

For Foodie Exgravaganza Party our Host is Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla   and the theme is Rice.
Check here the various rice dishes prepared this month.   

Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice) by Palatable Pastime
Beetroot Pulao by Magical Ingredients
Bulgogi Kimbap with Seasoned Rice by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Curry Doria (Japanese Curry Rice Gratin) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
Kimchi Fried Rice by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Rice Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Southwest Rice Salad by Our Good Life
Vangi Bath/Eggplant (Brinjal) Rice by Sneha’s Recipe

Fried Eggplant Curry#Improv

This is side dish, has a thick saucy gravy and it's tangy and delicious. Try it, you too will love it. 

Serves 2
Ingredients
1 Medium Eggplant/Brinjal
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Medium Tomato - chopped
1 Cup Hung curd
1 + 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Kacha Masala
1/2 Teaspoon Chilly Flakes
1 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Tablespoon Oil 
Oil as required for frying the eggplant/brinjal slices
1 Tablespoon Coriander leaves - finely chopped

Method

Slice the brinjal in roundels and then in four parts. Rub a teaspoon of salt on both sides of the eggplant pieces, keep it in a strainer for an hour atleast. After an hour wash the brinjal pieces well and pat them dry.

Whisk the hung curd and chilly flakes till smooth. Keep aside.
Fry the brinjal slices in little oil, till brown on both sides. Keep them aside. 
Blend the tomatoes and garlic to a smooth puree. Keep aside. 
In a deep pan / kadai heat oil, add onion and saute till brown. Add the coriander leaves, blended tomato puree, salt  and Kacha Masala , and fry till oil separates.  Add sugar, a cup of water , take  the pan aside and add half of the whisked hung curd, mix well.  Place the pan again on low flame, stirring continuously till it comes to a boil, cover and let it cook again till oil separates.   Arrange the brinjal slices in the gravy, cover and cook or a minute for two only.

Serve hot with the remaining hung curd and enjoy with roti, phulkas or parathas.

Labels: Brinjal, Eggplant, Side Dish, Vegetables, Kacha Masala, Improve Cooking Challenge, Main course, Serves Two

Improv Cooking Challenge: August 2021

Eggplant and Tomatoes

Classic Moussaka from Palatable Pastime
Fried Eggplant Curry from Sneha's Recipe
Catalan Escalivada from Culinary Adventures with Cam
Mirza Ghasemi - Vegan Version by Magical Ingredients
Eggplant and Tomato Tian byA Day in the Life on the Farm
Eggplant Prosciutto Caprese Panini from Cookaholic Wife

Lis'an El Qa'thi / Iraqi Stuffed Eggplant

This month’s challenge with the MENA cooking club, the recipes chosen are from Iraq. One of them is Lis'an El Qa'thi  when means stuffed eggplant with meat filling. Its is a yummy and delicious dish. Quick to make and really different way to present the humble Baingan ( what we Indian's call eggplant).  It's a classic party dish.  We really loved it.

Serve 2
Ingredients 

1 large Eggplants
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
250 Grams Chicken Mince
1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
1/2 Teaspoon Baharat Masala - Homemade
1/2 Teaspoon Chilly powder
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 Tablespoons Coriander Leaves - finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil as required
For Garnishing
1 Tomato - de seeded and cut in strips

1 Green Capsicum - cut in strips

Method

Cut the eggplants length ways and make  diamond cuts lightly (do not go too deep) as shown in the pic. 

Brush it oil and rub  a pinch of salt.

Pour a two tablespoons of oil into a frying pan to coat bottom generously. Heat over medium heat and fry eggplants, cut side down, for 8 to 10 minutes (ensuring they don’t blacken). Turn and fry the skin side another 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep aside to cool lightly.

In a another pan heat two tablespoons oil and fry onions until they are translucent. Add mince and cook, stirring till it turns pink to white. Add tomatoes paste, turmeric, chilly powder, Baharat masala and salt to taste. Stir and let the chicken mince cook till done and all the  moisture is evaporated. Add the coriander leaves and mix well. Keep aside to cool

Now preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Oil an ovenproof dish. 

Use the back of a spoon to press the eggplant flesh in order to create a cavity in the center of each half.

Fill the eggplant halves with an equal amount of the chicken mixture, piling it up so all the stuffing is used and patting it down gently. 

Garnish each eggplant with tomato and the capsicum strips. Arrange eggplant halves in the ovenproof dish. Sprinkle a little cold water over each eggplant half.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggplant is slightly blackened around the edges and the mince has browned. Serve at once.

Homemade Baharat Masala  recipe to  be posted soon.

Labels : Eggplant, Baked, Chicken, Iraqi, Continental Cuisine, Middle Eastern, Mena Cooking Club