Tasty Doi Begun in My Style: Recipes from Chandrani's Kitchen

Welcome to Chandrani's Kitchen with one more unique and tasty dish! 

Today I will share with you a completely vegetarian recipe "Doi Begun" (or commonly called "Brinjal in curd curry"). "Doi begun" is one of the popular curries from the Bengali and Odia cuisine. It is made with Doi or dahi which means curd and begun means brinjal/eggplant, mixed with spices. This recipe can be served with rice, chapati, or paratha. Let's see what ingredients are needed to prepare this dish.

Ingredients:

• Brinjal (or begun)– 1 medium-sized (sliced in thick square pieces)
• Tomato - 1 medium-sized
• Cashew - 1 tablespoon (make a smooth paste with tomato)
• Onion - 2 medium-sized (finely chopped)
• Salt & Sugar - as per your taste
• Fenugreek seeds (or methi) - 10 to 12
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chili powder - 1 teaspoon
• Gram Flour (or besan) - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard Oil - as required to cook
• Cumin (or jeera) powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curd (or dahi/doi) - 200 gm 
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried red chilies - 2 pieces
• Bay leaf - 1 piece
• Asafoetida (or hing) powder - 1 pinch
• Black caraway (or Kalonji) - 1/2 teaspoon
• Dried fenugreek leaves (or Kasoori methi) - 1/2 teaspoon

Here's a step-by-step approach to make this delicious dish (with photos):

• To start with, cut the brinjal (or begun) into the thick medium slices, add salt, turmeric, and mix well for proper marination.

• Blend the curd with gram flour and keep it aside.

• Now take a pan, heat oil, and fry the marinated brinjal pieces in a low-to-medium flame.

• Fry the brinjal pieces until they become turn yellowish-brown (on both sides). Take them out from the frying pan and place them in a separate bowl.

• Next, add 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan and add black caraway, dried red chilies, bay leaf, fenugreek, and asafoetida powder. Mix well and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add chopped onions and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add ginger-garlic paste, mix well, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Once the pungent smell of the ginger-garlic paste goes off, add tomato-cashew paste and mix well.

• When the oil separates out from masala then, add previously blended curd (with gram flour) in the pan and mix well again.

• After stirring for 2 to 3 minutes, add 400 ml of water, then add salt, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and sugar (to taste). Cook for 10 minutes on a high flame. 

• Since I have blended gram flour with curd, the gram flour needs to be cooked well to remove any raw taste.
• After 10 minutes, add crushed dried fenugreek leaves and mix well. 

• Take it out in a serving bowl and add fried brinjal pieces. Now your "Doi Begun" is ready to be served with rice or paratha during lunch or dinner.

So, if you liked the recipe, cook it at your home and do let me know how's the taste in the comments section below.