begun bhaja with khichri n my plants

coming back here after a long break and as was away from home for a week in this scorching summer...............the temperature soared to 44 degree yesterday, highest in the last 50 years...........all my plants were in deep trouble......could not save some of them, the herbs are delicate n my rosemary died , now it is so hard to get another pot of rosemary here in delhi......i'll try after the summer at dilli haat nursery again...............the beetroot greens n the spring onion greens were all grazed up.......now they are reviving a bit after all the care n pampering.......my violets were in full bloom...............and welcomed me on arrival.......

and the mint, oregano n basil could save themselves thankfully........

though a bit pale due to the scorching sun............they will come back to their greeny self as soon as the monsoon comes..........

tomatoes and brinjals also, were strong enough to withstand a week of neglect n handed me some more fruits..............

organic brinjals which i use to make a mashed up bhurta or a salsa or sometimes fry to make begun bhaja......bengaali style....

and these cherry tomatoes .....they taste great in a raw salad....they are in a plenty so i make chutnys, soups and salsa with them......

the green tomatoes are also used up for making chutnys and curries............recipes are on the way..........

one of the first things i cooked after coming home was this khichri with bottle guard ( after a week of feasting it had be be light meals for few days) teamed with bengali style begun bhaja , aam ka achar , garlic papad and plain curds..........

for making begun bhaja just slit the brinjals lengthwise , keeping it intact with the stalk...........sprinkle salt n pepper inside the cut flesh, wait until the oil in the pan is hot n fry till wilted n soft.............i shallow fried them in mustard oil n drained it on kitchen tissue.........serve hot with the khichri or daal chawal...........

khichri is made just like the last post, using bottle guard which is cooked in a pressure cooker along with the other ingredients...........lots of garlic n red chilly powder in the tadka n all set for a great drool..........with this aam ka achar.......i'll post the recipe when i make it this season............

i'll strongly advice everybody to eat light meals during summers and drink cooling drinks to prevent dehydration.............hope the heat wave scares away the swine flu at least.........