I am deeply attached to my microwave. Without it, my cooking will come to a halt.

In the mornings while the pressure cooker is under pressure to cook the rice and dal, the microwave will hum a tune and go on cooking the vegetables for the side dish.

One great thing about microwave is that you can skip the oil completely when cooking, if you want to. How else can we turn a dish, which needs the brinjal to be deep-fried into a zero oil recipe? So this is the first week’s last recipe for Blogging Marathon 23, under zero oil recipes.

Check out the other participants here in Blogging Marathon page for more recipes and themes.

Recipe Source: Friend’s Mother

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Brinjal                          :          250 gm
• Dates                            :          5-8, chopped finely
• Onion                           :          1 small, chopped finely
• Tomato                        :          1 small
• Coconut milk              :          1/2 cup
• Tamarind extract       :          1 – 2 tsp
• Green Chilies              :          5-6
• Salt

Method:

1. Cut the brinjal into cubes, microwave for 4-5 minutes or until cooked completely.
2. In a big bowl, add the brinjal and the chopped onions, tomatoes and dates. Add the coconut milk,  tamarind extract and salt.
3. Mash with a ladle or crush everything together with your hands. Add the chilies and mix thoroughly.
4. This dish has a bit of everything – sweetness from dates and coconut milk, spice from chilies, tangy taste from tamarind. You can adjust the ingredients to your taste. Serve with rice as a side dish.