Chadachadi

It comes off the heat when the charring sizzles, and the crust is stirred back in.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 300 g potatoes, in batons
• 1 aubergine, in batons
• 150 g green beans, in lengths
• 200 g cauliflower, in small florets
• 100 g spinach, shredded
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon panch phoron
• a 4 cm piece of ginger, minced
• 2 green chillies, slit
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground red chilli
• 5 tablespoons mustard oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 200 ml water

Method

1. IT COMES OFF THE HEAT WHEN THE CHARRING SIZZLES, AND THE CRUST IS STIRRED BACK IN. Its article describes the end of the cooking in a way almost no recipe does -- by sound. Once all the liquid has been absorbed and cooked off, the vegetables BEGIN TO FRY in the oil left in the bottom of the pot; AS THE VEGETABLES BEGIN TO CHAR, A SIZZLING SOUND IS HEARD, AND THE POT IS REMOVED FROM THE HEAT. Then, after a few minutes, THE THIN CHARRED CRUST IS STIRRED GENTLY INTO THE DISH. So the burnt layer is the flavour and the ear is the timer. Its article calls the dish CHAR-FLAVORED in its first sentence; stop before the sizzle and you have made a plain vegetable stir-fry.
2. THE WATER IS ADDED AND THEN DRIVEN OFF ON PURPOSE. Two hundred millilitres, simmered until it has gone completely. That transition from simmering to frying is the whole structure of the method.
3. THE OIL HAS TO BE ENOUGH TO FRY IN AT THE END. Five tablespoons. Too little and the vegetables stick and burn black rather than crusting.
4. THE CRUST IS STIRRED IN GENTLY AND ONLY ONCE. Its article says gently. Scraped hard, it breaks up and disappears into the dish instead of being found in pieces.
5. IT WAITS A FEW MINUTES OFF THE HEAT BEFORE THAT. Which its article also specifies. The pot carries on cooking and the crust firms.
6. PANCH PHORON IS THE SEASONING AND ITS ARTICLE OFFERS IT AS THE USUAL. A chaunk of black mustard seeds and minced ginger in oil, OFTEN PANCH PHORON. Whole, not ground, so it is found.
7. THE VEGETABLES ARE WHATEVER IS LEFT, AND ITS ARTICLE IS FRANK ABOUT IT. It is OFTEN COOKED WITH LEFTOVER VEGETABLES at the end of the week, and names potatoes, aubergine, spinach, French beans and cauliflower as typical.
8. THEY GO IN BY COOKING TIME EVEN SO. Potato and cauliflower first, aubergine and beans next, spinach last.
9. IT IS DRY WHEN IT IS RIGHT, AND EATEN WITH RICE. No sauce at all should be left in the pot.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes