Beguner Ghonto
Ingredients:
300-350 grams of eggplants(any kind will do)
1/4 cup very finely chopped or pasted onion
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 level teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon chilly powder, or to taste
1/3 cup freshly grated coconut;or 1/3 cup dry coconut flake (the finest quality available)
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon oil, or butter
1 teaspoon sugar salt,to taste
1 tablespoon of grated or dry coconut, for garnishing
Procedure: Boil eggplants.Drain.Smash into an even paste. Heat oil or GHEE in a *nonstick* fry pan. Add bay leaves. Add onion and fry, in low heat , for 2-3 minutes. Add ginger, cumin and chilly powder and fry for 1 minute. Add smashed eggplants and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the coconut, salt & sugar. Stir-fry the whole mixture on low to medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture becomes even. All the ingredients should mix with each other thoroughly and it should be dry. Sprinkle coconut from top and serve in room temperature. Tastes great when eaten with plain or buttered rice only,i.e. before the other items. The dish should be on the sweeter side-adjust sugar according to your taste. For those who might not know: GHONTO is a "mixed" dish. MURIGHONTO is a dish prepared with fishhead,potato & other things. MOCHA is the flowerlets of the Banana Plant. CHANCHRA is a dish prepared with fishhead and different kinds of vegetables like spinach, pumpkin,cabbage, potato etc.