“Green Vaingana Podi (Vangi Tawa Fry/ Brinjal Fries)” … podi/ bajo's are the most sought after fries/ fritters preferred to be served during meals … these are crisp and soft centered vegetable fries that are a delight to enjoy and children love them and are sure to polish off the meal without a murmur … though, I have tava fried these, they can easily be deep fried/ grilled/ Air-fried too … tastes awesome served during meals with dalitoy and sheetHa (rice) ... Yummilicious ...
** These Podi’s (in konkani) are a pattern followed for deep fried veggies by GSB Konkani Saraswat community. Almost all podi/ fries are prepared almost in similar manner with minute difference in spices depending upon the region or the pattern followed over generations by in that household. I must mention here that the most sought after podi is of Sweet Potatoes (Kananga/ Ratalu), Ripe Nendrabale Banana, Suran (Yam), Raw Bananas etc. Again, when it comes to brinjal, matti gula a variety of brinjal available in and around Udupi district- the originate, is the one largely used in our community, however they are not available in Mumbai except in Mangalore/ Southern stores when in season and for me it is difficult to get them on regular basis as there are no southern stores nearby in my vicinity.
** The next best and in close resemblance are these as shown in picture known as vaingana in Konkani, vangi in Hindi/ Marathi and green brinjal in English while the one’s used here have green skin they are available in purple and dark blacking purple color too which is used the most in northern parts of India. I have used green variety though I do use the other ones too and you may use any that is available to you. These are easy to prepare and fall in handy when in hurry or when children demand something tasty to go with the meals. The spice level can be adjusted according to your family preference and for tava fries you can use either the plain tava or the grilled one’s too as is your choice. In all definitely a tasty dish that tastes excellent served with dal- chawal along with some bhaji/ upkari, try it, it’s yumz.
** Here is my recipe for “Green Vaingana Podi (Vangi Tawa Fry/ Brinjal Fries)” ... usually served during lunch/ dinner as an accompaniment with other dishes while bajos/ bajias prepared using the same veggies are served during meals or as a snack too ... again it’s individual preference ….
** Wash and wipe dry Green Vaingana/ Vangi/ Brinjal. Slice off both the edge side portions and then cut them into roundels of ¼ inch thickness (check picture). If the brinjal is too large or as is the center part, you can cut them further into two or four giving them the shape of semi circle or triangles. Do not cut them too thin unlike other veggies as brinjal is soft veggie and tastes best when fried crisp outside and soft within.
** Note : The no. of pieces/ green brinjals required here depends upon the number of podi/ fries required for serving. In total I got about 10-12 pieces in roundels, while the side pieces I retained to add to sambar the next day.
** Make a mixture of 2-3 tblsp of less spicy red chilly powder (mirsange pitti/ mirchi tikkat), I used Kashmiri red chilly powder. To it add ¼ tsp of hing (asafoeitda) powder, large pinch of haldi (turmeric) powder, salt (namak meeta) to taste and mix well. You can add a few drops of vinegar or a little bit of tamarind paste and mix well adding the required amount of water to make it into a very thick paste.
** Note : In olden days dry chillies were soaked, ground along with tamarind, hing, salt and haldi in stone grinder sprinkling water until you got a thick applicable paste. This was stored in freezer and used as and when required. Trust me that taste is really something unique, but as we do not use or have those large grinders these days most of us just use powders as required only. Just remember to mix the ingredients with a few tablespoons of water only just enough to bind it, the paste SHOULD NOT BE LIKE A BATTER as is used for bajos, it should just be applied as a layer on surface of veggies.
** Apply the prepared paste to the brinjal slices evenly on both sides in a thin layer and keep it aside covered for about 30 minutes to rest. In case you are to prepare the podi much later then keep it in the fridge, this also helps the veggie absorb the flavors a lot, in fact I always apply the same be it for veg or non veg (fish) and keep it in a air tight container in fridge to rest for 3-4 hours and then fry them, tastes wonderful.
** Dusting the brinjal pieces : In a flat plate add 3-4 tblsp of fine rava/ chiroti rava, ½ tsp of salt (namak/ meeta), 1-2 tblsp of rice (tandul/ akki) flour and mix them well. This will be used for giving the outer crisp coating to the brinjal fries by rolling the pieces on them before frying. Roll each of the brinjal piece in this mixture to evenly dust lightly on all sides and keep them ready separately on another plate for tava/ deep frying.
** To Tava fry brinjal pieces : Heat a thick bottomed iron tava or non stick one's whichever you prefer and when hot, lower the heat to medium and gently brush the whole tava with about 2 tblsp of edible oil of your choice to form an even layer.
** Place each coated piece on the heat tava, sprinkle some oil on the rim of the fries and a few drop on top of the same and let cook on medium heat until cooked lightly brown on the bottom side, then with the help of tongs, flip it over, adding more oil only if you find necessary and then let cook on the other side too.
** When browned raise the heat to maximum and let fry for a few seconds/ minute to let that side be evenly crisped, do not burn, then flip over and let the other side too turn to a crisp texture. Remove and place it on an absorbent paper/ tissue and continue with remaining pieces repeating the same procedure all over again.
** If using deep frying method .... then add plenty of oil in kadai and bring to heat. When oil has reached smoking point, lower the heat and wait for a few minutes and then gently slip in each dusted brinjal piece into it. Be careful with the hot oil and also do not add too many pieces at a time, there should be enough space around the fries for even and proper frying of the brinjal pieces. Let the brinjal pieces fry in the hot oil for a few minutes after which gently with the help of a slotted spatula, flip them over and continue frying on the other side too. Once the pieces are slightly browned, keep flipping them gently to evenly fry on both side to a lovely brown texture without burning them.
** When done, gently remove with the help of a ringed spatula, and place it on a absorbent paper for excess oil to get dripped off. Continue with the remaining prepared and kept brinjal pieces by dusting them and then deep frying in similar manner as prepared above. Remember to not over crowd the kadai as there should be enough space for the brinjal pieces to get cooked in properly.
** Note : A simple but important note to keep in mind when preparing fries be it deep fried/ tava fried. Fry only that much how much is needed for immediate serving, you can keep rest of the masala applied pieces in an air tight container in fridge and fry them as and when needed. Fried items lose on taste and crispiness when kept aside for more than 30 minutes especially brinjal as they are soft within. To avoid them turning soggy or soft/ limp while serving, avoid frying them before hand.
** “Green Vaingana Podi (Vangi Tawa Fry/ Brinjal Fries)” is done and ready to be served. These podi’s are best served immediately on frying as if left to rest they turn limp and lose out on taste. Tastes best served during lunch/ dinner as an accompaniment with other dishes. Though in most of the homes these type of podi with any veggie as per season is a must during festive days, these days they are prepared more frequently as children enjoy them and the meals are polished off without a murmur. Try them when desired and enjoy them during meals, they really pep up the meals especially if you are having simple dalitoy (spiced dal), chawal (sheetHa) and upkari (bhaji).
** You can use the search option/ label section or click on the common link shared below for "Bajo or Podi" where you will find plenty of them … Do try out various types of dishes and enjoy them with your family and friends …
Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete