Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Miri's Gosthu(Eggplant in a tangy tomato gravy)

For the next couple of days, I will do a series of posts which were actually intended for February. I had planned to do them the week of Saraswati Puja because she being the goddess of  knowledge and art and art and creativity was what my posts were going to celebrate. But things often don't go according to plan. Well actually things NEVER go according to plan. So instead of February, I will do the posts over the next few days.
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The entire month of February, I thought of Miri. Off and on. Off and on. I would go to one of my older posts and her comment would be right there. I browsed through her blog , going through her older posts, expecting new ones. And then I thought it was only befitting that I share the Goshtu recipe that she had sent me. The post was there on her blog but not the recipe and I had asked for it in the comment. She had promptly sent it by e-mail.

Hey there Sandeepa!

Hope you had a great Diwali...

here's the recipe I used - didn't want to post it because its Blog Bites and you are supposed to link to the original!

Gosthu

Ingredients
Moong dal – ¼ cup
2 cups diced - (eggplant, carrot, potato)
Onion - 1 big sliced
Tomato – 1, chopped
Tamarind – 1 tbsp paste dissolved in 1 cup water
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
1 tbsp sambar powder
1 tsp chilli powder

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – few

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped

Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt

Method
Pressure cook moong dal until soft.

Heat oil, add mustard and when it splutters add the curry leaves
Add onion and saute for 5 minutes till soft. Then the tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder and sambar powder and saute some more till they are mushy.
Add the vegetables and stir fry for 10-12 minutes till they are half cooked.
Add tamarind water, salt and one more cup of water. Bring to boil and then simmer covered for 20 minutes.
Finally, add the cooked dal, mix well and boil for another 5 minutes or simmer till it has thickened. Add coriander leaves and serve.




I had actually been looking for an eggplant dish, I had tasted way back in an Office cafeteria in Bangalore and the Goshtu though similar had Dal which the cafeteria eggplant did not.

So I said

"Dear Miri

Thanks so much for the recipe. Now that I read it, I realize though that this wasn't the cafeteria eggplant, this is like the one a Tam colleague used to get here. I have had this and really liked it. The cafeteria one had no dal as far as I remember."

And then she said

"You are welcome!... the cafeteria one must be with onions and tomatoes, but also sambar powder - I make a version of that with drumsticks and brinjal and its really nice. "


That is what I decided to make, a variation of her Goshtu

But for a long time, I did not make it. It was one more of those recipes you treasure but don't always cook. Today I made it and it tasted delicious. Why was I waiting, I thought ? But we all do that. We wait and wait and wait until the moment has passed and things are not as they used to be. And then a known flavor, an unknown scent reminds us of what could have been.

Today Miri lived in my home through her food that she had shared many months ago and I wish her and her family the best always. I am not posting a pic of the finished dish because hers looked infinitely better than mine, the eggplants in my dish were not as soft. I rather we remember the dish as it looks on her blog post. Perfect.

This post is dedicated to Miri and her Gosthu and also to all my blogger friends who continue making this blog world richer, colorful and appetizing with the aroma of their home-cooked food. Joining Manisha of Indian Food Rocks for the same






9 comments:

  1. Such a wonderful post! And you're right...we wait and wait. Like I have been waiting. I cooked from Raji's blog the very week I asked everyone to join me in honoring her memory. But I haven't been able to post. I sat for hours today, looking at the pictures and a blank post. I think your post will help. Thank you. For everything.

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  2. Recipe looks good, do you have a photo??

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  3. Wow!! haven't heard about it before. As my parents are coming here for the first time, I am preparing my recipe collection to cook and feed them what they haven't tasted ever. Thanks!

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  4. Kadambari MathejiaMarch 13, 2013 2:47 PM

    Ya agreed, photo of finished dish is needed.

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    1. I suggest both you and the other commenter, read through the post before you make clear your needs. The photo will be found in the post :)

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  5. Gotsu and pongal are famous combo in TN. But i love with idlis and dosas. Lovely post about Miri after a longtime.

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  6. I cook from Miri's blog quite often. All very reliable delicious recipes. Your post is lovely. Miss her....

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  7. I think about her often.

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