Fried Vegetable Accompaniments for Meat or Chicken
A traditional Parsi guide to preparing crisp, golden fried vegetables to accompany rich meat or chicken gravies. This recipe features a unique historical technique of adding salted water to hot ghee during frying to season and crisp root vegetables like yams, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. It also includes a special variation for thick eggplant slices stuffed with a spicy fresh coriander and green chili paste, creating a savory side dish that adds texture and flavor to the main meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Mixed root vegetables (Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Elephant Foot Yam/Suran, or Purple Yam/Ratalu) (Choose one or a mix. Quantity is per batch for the salt ratio.)
- 1/2 pound Okra (Bhinda) (Optional alternative vegetable.)
- 2 cups Ghee (For deep or shallow frying. Quantity estimated.)
- 1 teaspoon Salt (Per 1 pound of vegetables.)
- 1 teaspoon Water (Per 1 pound of vegetables, for dissolving salt.)
- 1 large Large Eggplant (seedless variety) (For the stuffed variation.)
- 1 cup Fresh coriander leaves (Chopped. Originally '4 bunches' (historical bunches were likely smaller).)
- 3 whole Green chilies (Or to taste.)
- 1 tablespoon Salt (For eggplant masala. Originally '1.5 tola' (approx 17g). Used for drawing out moisture.)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Flat teaspoon.)
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder (Flat teaspoon.)
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Instructions
- 1Prepare your chosen vegetables: For potatoes, peel and cut into straws (sali), quarters lengthwise, or large cubes. If using 'Damori' potatoes, boil before peeling. For sweet potatoes, peel and cut into 1-inch thick slices (halve the slices if very thick). For Elephant Foot Yam (Suran), peel and cut into 1-inch cubes. For Purple Yam (Ratalu), boil, peel, and cut into cubes or 1/2-inch thick rounds. If the yam is very flavorful/soft (Kamodiya), do not boil it first as it may disintegrate; otherwise, treat it like Ratalu. Wash and dry all vegetables thoroughly.
- 2If using okra (bhinda), wash and wipe completely dry with a clean cloth. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
- 3For every 1 pound (approx 1 seer) of vegetables, dissolve 1 flat teaspoon of salt in 1 teaspoon of water. Keep this solution ready.
- 4Heat ghee in a large wok (kadhai) or wide pan until it smokes. Reduce heat to low. Carefully add the vegetables, ensuring the ghee doesn't splash. Stir occasionally, but not too frequently to avoid breaking the vegetables. When the vegetables are nearly fried, add the prepared salt water solution into the hot ghee. CAUTION: This will splatter. Allow the water to burn off completely and the vegetables to crisp up again before removing them from the ghee. Drain well.
- 5Peel seedless eggplants and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices. Score both sides of each slice lightly with a knife in a crosshatch pattern. Grind the coriander leaves and green chilies into a paste. Mix in the salt (approx 1 tablespoon), turmeric, and black pepper. Apply this paste to both sides of the eggplant slices. Place the slices in a colander or sieve, cover with a plate, and place a heavy weight on top. Place the colander over a pot and let it sit for 15 minutes to drain excess water.
- 6After draining, heat about 1/2 pound (approx 1 cup) of ghee in a large flat pan on low heat. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer. Cover and cook on low heat. When the bottom side is red/brown, carefully flip them without breaking. Cover again and cook until the second side is browned. Press gently to ensure they are cooked through. Add more ghee if needed as eggplants absorb a lot.
- 7For most vegetables (yam, sweet potato, okra, eggplant), mix them into the hot meat or chicken gravy just before serving and heat through briefly. For potato straws (sali), sprinkle them on top after serving to maintain crispness, as they will become soggy if mixed into the gravy.
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