Dahi Baigana -- Egg Plant & Yummy Yoghurt

Whenever there is a potluck, the most lazy person picks the yoghurt accompaniment called Raita. :)

At least thats what my friends think. So I decided to make a better yoghurt dish and prove that bringing Raita to a potluck does not mean you are lazy. Just means, there are more things that can be done with Yoghurt ..... and Egg Plant. LOL.

Dahi Baigana, is a favorite Odiya dish. Its always made at weddings and summer lunches where there is fried rice and mutton curry. Yoghurt is very cooling, so having this dish with rich food is good for the food-intaker (thats you..silly !!).

Here is what we use...

• Egg-Plant (the longer ones taste the best.. according to me) cut into long pieces
• 1/2 small red onion sliced thin
• Few curry leaves {8 - 10}
• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 2 tea spoons sugar {adjust with the sourness of the yoghurt}
• 3-4 green chillies slit through length
• salt to taste
• Cumin-Red Chili powder {Home Made -- Dry roast cumin seeds + red chillies on a open pan & dry grind them together into a fine powder} for garnish only.
• Oil for frying the egg-plants

Here's how we make it...

• Deep fry the egg-plant and keep them aside. While frying, ensure that it does not get burnt. Fry on low flame. You can also pan fry them in little more oil than usual pan frying. Just make sure they don't burn & get browned evenly.
• If you are worried about deep fried stuff.. lay the fried egg-plants on tissue paper.
• Now in a glass bowl (for beauty) add yoghurt, a little water, sugar, salt and mix well.
• In a small pan, heat some oil (may be 1 or 2 tea spoons).
• When oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves and then add the onions & green chilies.
• Fry the onions till they are pink and translucent. Take care that they do not turn brown. They should still look crunchy.
• Now add the onions into the yoghurt mixture and mix well.
• Finally add the egg-plants to the yoghurt mixture and mix everything well.
• Sprinkle the Cumin-Red Chili powder on the top before serving.
• Note that we do not cook the yoghurt. Just mix and serve. :)

Enjoy !!