Wednesday, February 5, 2014

BAINGAN BHARTA and HOT AND SOUR SOUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The craving have returned over the past few days.

The insistent nagging in my taste buds and in my stomach.  It has a hold over my entire mind.

Indian Food.

Again and again I tell myself that if I just wait but a little longer, Kennedy Twp - that little town outside of McKees Rocks - will probably open it's very own Indian restaurant any day. 

Yup. 

I can practically smell the curries and the fresh baked naan from that soon to be opened storefront right here in Kennedy Twp.  Probably right in the same strip of storefronts with Bob's Diner, Angelias Pizza, and Rockefeller's.  A perfect fit.

Any day.

In the meantime, my hunger was saying things to my brain that I cant repeat here (my god there could be children!) - and so to assuage it until the (very near) day that Kennedy Twp opens its own Indian joint (probably, like, tomorrow), I did the unthinkable:

I brought India...  TO US!

[Queue Baliwood pop beat and the Indian male and female superstars dancing out into the room with a crowd of other, equally enthusiastic, dancers.]

Tonight I made Baingan Bharta from Terry Hope Romero's Vegan Eats World and it was every damn bit as good as other Indian places I've eaten it at.  It rocked me gently, but fiercely, until I was so full and satisfied that I threw down my fork in dramatics, lolled back in my chair, and said something to Gina in genuinely satiated Hindi and she was like, "What?"  and I was all, "I dont know...  The words just came to me."

It looked like this:

And what, you may ask is Baingan Bharta?

Well, I'll tell you. 

It's made primarily of roasted, mashed eggplant and is of a part of both Indian and Pakistani cuisine and is a common item found on the menu in Indian restaurants (like the one that will shortly open in Kennedy Twp.  Any. Day. Now.)

 The Vegan Eats World recipe was roasted eggplant, indian spices including corriander, cumin and turmeric along with onions garlic, tomatoes, and chilli peppers.

Get this - this particular dish was used as a Protest Food in 2011 against genetically modified crops.  750 lbs of it!  

It was the 2nd thing (the 1st being Chana Masala) I tried at (the now closed) India Garden on Atwood St. in Oakland way back in my teenage years when I was first introduced to the wonders of Indian cuisine.

Last note on that Indian restaurant just over the horizon in Kennedy Twp.  I think I have nailed down what the delay probably is:  They are likely battling out real estate with the Kennedy Twp branches of Mad Mex and The Quiet Storm.

MOVING ON.

Another jonesing I satisfied recently was Hot and Sour Soup.

I deeply and desperately love Hot and Sour Soup and one of the most horrile things about this love is that this soup is incredibly common on the menu in pretty much all asian restaurants - even the fast food joints - but it usually is made with chicken or fish broth and so I can only drool about it from a distance.

I made the below bliss in a bowl last weekend using all vegan ingredients and it was amazing.  It didn't taste exactly like the vegetarian version at the Chinese Buffet in Oakland, but it was close enough to satisfy a deep craving.


It was from Veganomicon and was super easy and fast to make.  Really its just a bunch of mushrooms (combination of dried and regular), tofu, sesame oil and hot chile oil, rice vinegar and veggie broth with shredded cabbage, scallions, and bamboo shoots.

Oh and white pepper.  

Gina doesn't like Hot and Sour Soup so it was all mine.  MUA HAHAHAHAHA!

(cough)

It lasted like a day.

Im kind of kicking myself because Monday night I made a Pastichio (a greek lasagna), also from Vegan Eats World and it was so good - but I must have forgot to photograph it.  Sorry.  I'll make it again and post it.

Thats about all.  I have some new things I'd like to try so I will post again soon.  More Indian goodness.

MORE INDIAN GOOOODNESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!