THAI EGGPLANT BASIL

INGREDIENTS:
2 Chinese Eggplants ( thin, long purple eggplants)- chopped into thin fingers.
25-30 Basil leaves chopped
8 Lime Leaves( optional- I didn't use it as I couldn't find them)
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
4 cloves of Garlic- chopped
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Brown Sugar
Salt as per taste
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Lemon rinds of 1 Lemon

METHOD:

Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan and toss in the chopped garlic until softened.
To this add the eggplant, toss and let it cook nicely. Then add salt and Sambal Oelek along with Soy Sauce.
Add basil and keep tossing slowly until all the leaves are nicely wilted.
Now add the lemon rinds.( Be careful when when removing the rinds from lemon. Just grate lightly taking care that you don't grate the white as it then becomes bitter)
Serve steaming hot with white rice.

OKRA SPINACH / BHENDI PALAK

INGREDIENTS:
Okra
Spinach- 1 Bunch washed and chopped
1 Big Onion Sliced
1 tsp Jeera seeds
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 Tbsp Kitchen King Masala
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Haldi Powder
Salt as per taste

METHOD:

Wash and dry Okra and cut them lengthwise.
In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and had jeera seeds. When jeera starts sputtering add sliced onions and fry them until brown.
Now add okra and add all the rest of the masala ingredients to it and keep the flame on high and cook okra until they are completely cooked.
Now add chopped spinach into this and adjust the salt and cook untill all the spinach in competely cooked. Note: Don't add any water to this as spinach lets enough water and this should be good to cook the vegetable.
Serve hot and enjoy it with white rice or chapathi.

MODAKA

INGREDIENTS:
For Unde
1 Cup Rice
1 Cup Coconut
Water
Salt - as per taste
For Stuffing
Jaggery
Coconut- Fresh/Frozen
Cardamom powder

METHOD:

Mix grated or powdered jaggery with coconut and add cardamom powder if desired and keep it aside. This mixture will be used as stuffing for Rice balls.

Soak the rice in hot water for about 2 hours
Grind rice along with the water used for soaking to a course paste. Add fresh coconut and salt at the end and churn it for a couple of mins so both coconut and the rice are coarsely ground( like that of idli batter).
Now in a heavy bottom pan add about 4 more cups of water to the above batter and keep stirring constantly mashing small lumps that will be formed during this process. Continue this until the batter becomes thick and forms a single mass.
Slowly make small rice balls out of the above when the mixture is still warm to hot. To do this dip your hands in cold water and immediately carefully form small table tennis ball.
Carefully flatten the ball and stuff a spoon full of jaggery mix inside (just like the way you would do for stuffed parathas) and cover the mix to form a nice ball again.
Steam cook for about 12 to 14 mins.