Ringan Shakkariya nu Shaak!

I woke up craving for something very Wintery, slightly oily today. And so I made this Brinjal Sweet potato curry which is made almost always at our Weddings, especially the winter ones. Called રસોઇયાનું રીંગણ-શક્કરિયાંનું રસાવાળુ શાક which when loosely translated means a Brinjal-Sweet Potato (with their skins on, not peeled) Curry made by Halwais/Cooks for the traditional wedding lunch feast, at our Southern Gujarat based Anavil Brahmin weddings. Served on બાજ/પતરાળા । plates and bowls made by sewing together several leaves ( usually leaves of Shaal trees, a tree of special significance in Hinduism ), this curry has a ruby red oil pooling around fat chunks of Sweet Potatoes & Brinjals mashed to make a smooth gravy. It is very uniquely seasoned too, with a hint of jaggery which gives the curry a unique dimension without making it sweet at all. Usually served with Gujarati Daal and Rice, I chose a lighter Khichdi today to go with it. Like everywhere else, Khichdi is not something consumed at auspicious events like weddings but hey, sometimes the stomach craves what it craves! 😬After the Diwali indulgence I don’t have the heart to extend my menu, but at the wedding feast, the platter will also have કેળા મેથીના ભજીયાં | Fritters made with Banana and Methi leaves mixed into Gram Flour or વાટી દાળના ખમણ | Surti Vaati daal na Khaman and લાપસી | a broken Wheat based Sweet made with ghee and jaggery. Sigh! It would have been bliss! 💕💕 But, I can definitely share the recipe here.

The image is from my own instagram account and can be found here

Ingredients: ( Serves 4-5 )

• 6-7 small-ish brinjals ( The ones available here in Indian markets, slightly larger than an average Indian lemon, 300-350 gms in weight approximately ), wash, trim the tops and halve them. We usually cut it large so that they are easier to identify and mash after cooking, avoiding the sweet potatoes, preserving the shape of the sweet potatoes while mashing the brinjals.
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, ( again 300 gms in weight approximately, preferably pick the ones which have not bruised / clean, thin skins so that you can use it without peeling ), If the potatoes have a thin skin, preferably keep them on. Wash and cut into large chunks.
• one large tomato, cut into large chunks,
• 5 tablespoon ( or more ) cooking oil, ( preferably peanut oil, it adds a lovely flavor, but you can use any other oil at hand too, neutral smelling one is preferred. Also, I would like to add that this curry, as traditionally prepared by the professional cooks is quite heavy on oil, and a part of the charm also lies in the dripping oil. But of course, you can cut down on oil as per your needs),
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds,
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds,
• a few pinches of asafoetida, ( or 2 small pods of garlic, pounded ),
• 1/2 tsp of ginger chili paste,
• 1 tsp red chili powder,
• 1.5 tsp cumin powder,
• 1.5 tsp coriander powder,
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
• 1 tsp of roasted fennel powder ( Saunf/Variyali roasted and powdered), (optional, but highly recommended ),
• salt to taste,
• 2 tsp of gram flour, ( completely optional ) ( or you could use 2 tsp of finely crushed peanuts too) ( sometimes if I have a lot of brinjals at hand, I skip thickeners of any kind and just use an extra brinjal, mashed brinjals make the most excellent thickeners for curry bases ),
• one small lump/piece of jaggery ( smaller than a lemon) ( optional but recommended ),
• juice of half a lemon

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add the tomato chunks and cook for about 2 mins on medium high until they are soft.
2. Add salt, jaggery, all the spice powders: chili, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and fennel. Add the gram flour and mix it well leaving no lumps.
3. Add the brinjal and sweet potato chunks. Mix and coat it well with spices. Add water enough to just submerge the chunks. Bring it to a boil.
4. Close the lid, let the pressure build up on medium to high heat. Once you hear the first whistle, turn the heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Take it off the heat and let the pressure subside naturally.
6. When it is safe to open the lid, check one piece each of the brinjal and sweet potato to see if they are done. If they are cooked, carefully mash the brinjals with the back of the mixing spoon/ladle while carefully keeping the sweet potatoes in shape.
7. Then gently mix and fold everything, place it on a low heat. If all the water has been absorbed, add a few tbsp of water to give it a slightly fluid consistency. When warm, take it off the heat, add the juice of half a lemon and serve!