December 2003 Archives

Spicy eggplant

Spicy eggplant

A spicy Indian-inspired eggplant dish. Can be used as a side-dish or on its own.

  • 2 eggplants, cut in stripes
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon hot chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon dark mustard seeds
  • 1 onion, chopped

Bring 1 litre water to boil, add garlic and eggplants and let simmer for about ten minutes.

In the meantime, mix coriander, salt, pepper, chili powder, ginger and lemon juice so that you get a spicy paste.

In a large pan, heat the ghee. Add the onion and mustard seeds. Fry until the oinion has become transparent. Add the drained eggplant. Stir-fry for five minutes.

Reduce heat, keep stir-frying the eggplant for another 10 minutes, adding a teaspoon of the spicy paste every minute or so. The eggplants are ready when all the liquid has evaporated.

Japanese vegetable soup with salmon

Japanese vegetable soup with salmon

Sorry for posting so irregularly on this recipe blog, but not only did I just have a stomach infection that kept me from cooking, I also have very little time to post here on a more-than-incidental basis. Subscribe to my RSS feed to be informed about updates as soon as they come in.

  • 1 sachet dashi powder
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • ½ Chinese cabbage, cut in 1x1-inch pieces
  • 4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for 1 hour, then rinsed
  • 1 carrot, sliced
  • 1 cup bamboo sprouts
  • 150g salmon fillet
  • 150g tofu, cut in small cubes
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

In a pot, bring 1-2 cups of water to boil. Place the salmon fillet on an inset and cook it in the steam for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove the inset and carefully cut the steamed salmon in 1x1 inch pieces. Put aside.

In a wok, heat 2-3 tablespoons oil and fry the onions until transparent. Add the carrots and bamboo sprouts, then, after 2-3 minutes, the Chinese cabbage. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes, then add 1 litre water and bring to boil.

Add the dashi powder, shiitake mushrooms and tofu cubes. Stir well, then let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rice wine and soy sauce, stir, then very carefully add the salmon cubes. Let simmer for one more minute, then serve immediately.

First anniversary!

First anniversary!

Yay! Exactly one year ago, I published the first recipe on my weblog, which was the kind of informal beginning of The Aardvark Cooks. Despite the fact that posting frequency is somewhat irregular at the moment, rest assured that this recipe log is not dead — further updates will follow soon.

In the meantime many thanks for your visits. It's much appreciated.