Gujarati Eggplant And Sweet Potato Lasagna With Kadi Sauce Recipes

GUJARATI EGGPLANT AND SWEET POTATO "LASAGNA" WITH KADI SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the filling:
• Prepare the tomato masala and set aside.
• Prep the vegetables for the filling, keeping all of them separate: •Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. •Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes. •Halve the zucchini crosswise. Stand one of the halves up and cut four 1/2-inch slices of flesh from around the seeds in the center. Dice the flesh into 1/2-inch cubes (discard the seeds. Repeat with the other half. •Cut the bell peppers into 1/2-inch squares.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium- high heat until it shimmers. Stir in the sweet potatoes and sauté, stirring occasionally, until parcooked and still a bit crunchy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggplant and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl. Add the peanuts, tomato masala, and salt and mix well.
• Make the "lasagna" sheets:
• Have ready a wide expanse of very clean counter space.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together the gram flour and water until smooth. Add the ginger, green chile, turmeric, yogurt, salt, and citric acid. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the batter is very thick, 9 to 10 minutes. (It will resemble thick pastry cream or cream puff dough.)
• Turn the dough out onto the counter. Working quickly and using an offset spatula, spread it into a very thin (1/8-inch-thick) rectangular sheet roughly 24x20 inches. Use a paring knife to trim the rectangle to an 18-inch square. (Discard the trimmings or snack on them.) Then cut that square into four precise 9-inch squares. The dough cools and sets quickly so you will be able to peel each of the four squares off the counter easily as you need them.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Assemble the "lasagna":
• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spread one-fourth of the vegetable mixture evenly into bottom of the pan, pressing down lightly on it with the back of a spoon so it gets into the corners and is compact rather than loose.
• Position one of the lasagna sheets over the vegetables so that it fits exactly in the pan. Repeat with the remaining three portions of vegetables and three lasagna sheets, ending with a lasagna sheet.
• Cover the lasagna with a 9-inch square of parchment paper, then cover the dish with foil. Place is on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make (or reheat) the kadi sauce.
• To serve, cut the lasagna into six rectangles. Serve in large pasta bowls with kadi sauce ladled over each portion.

EGGPLANT RAVAIYA

Steps:

• Put all ingredients except for the olive oil and eggplants in a food processor, and pulse until the peanuts are ground. Add oil and pulse to combine; the mixture will resemble damp sand. Set aside.
• Cut a crosshatch in the bottom of the eggplant about three-quarters of the way up the fruit, leaving the stem intact. (In other words, you're making a deep plus-sign shape in the bulbous part of the fruit, so you can stuff it with the peanut filling.) Repeat with the remaining eggplants.
• Stuff each eggplant with a little of the peanut mixture, just enough to fill the hole. You should have some peanut mixture left over.
• Place the stuffed eggplants on their sides in a single layer on the bottom of a large pot or saucepan with a lid. The eggplants can overlap a little, but ideally they will all fit on the bottom of the pot. Dollop the leftover peanut mixture on top of and around the eggplants, and add 1 cup of water. Turn heat to medium and cover the pot. Let the eggplant cook at a simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the eggplants are just tender when you poke them at the stem end with the tip of a knife.
• Taste the sauce for salt, and serve hot with basmati rice or Indian flatbreads.