Eggplant and potatoes

Your ready-to-cook kit contains the ingredients listed below as well as a simple and practical recipe sheet, so that this dish is the best you have ever tasted.

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  Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or dyeing.

  Turmeric

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  As the name suggests, these chillies are a specific variety cultivated in the Kashmir region of India. Prized for their vibrant red color and mild heat, they are used to add a beautiful red hue to dishes without making them excessively spicy. They are essential for dishes like rogan josh, tandoori chicken, and various curries.

  Kashmiri red chili powder

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  While thought to have originated in the Middle East, cumin has been cultivated in India for millennia and is a cornerstone of Indian cooking. Cumin is used both whole and ground. The whole seeds are often fried in hot oil at the beginning of a dish (Tadka) to impart a warm, earthy aroma. Ground cumin is a key ingredient in almost all curry powders and spice blends like garam masala.

  Cumin

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  Coriander is one of the oldest spices, with evidence of its cultivation in India for thousands of years. The seeds have a warm, citrusy flavor. They are often toasted and ground into a powder, which is a staple in almost every Indian curry powder. It provides a mellow, background flavor that balances other spices.

  Coriander powder

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  Garam masala, which translates to "hot spice mix" in Hindi, is a blend of ground spices that originated in North India. The name "hot" refers to the warming effect the spices are believed to have on the body according to Ayurvedic medicine, rather than the spiciness from chili peppers. The composition of garam masala varies greatly by region, and even from one household to another. Garam masala is a versatile spice blend used to enhance the flavor and aroma of a wide variety of Indian dishes. It's often used as a finishing spice, added toward the end of cooking to preserve its potent fragrance. It can also be used in marinades or as a dry rub for meats. Garam masala differs from other Indian spice blends like curry powder. Curry powder was a blend created for British colonizers to mimic Indian flavors, and it typically contains turmeric, which gives it a yellow color. Garam masala, on the other hand, does not usually contain turmeric and is a traditional part of Indian culinary heritage.

  Garam Masala

The recipe requires the following ingredients that are not included in your kit, we recommend buying these ingredients locally.

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  Ginger is native to the rainforests of Maritime Southeast Asia and is one of the first spices to have been exported from Asia. It was introduced to India very early in its history and has been cultivated there for thousands of years, becoming an integral part of both its cuisine and traditional medicine, Ayurveda. Ginger is a foundational ingredient in Indian cooking. It is a key component of the aromatic paste known as ginger-garlic paste, which forms the flavor base for countless curries, dals, and marinades. It provides a pungent, spicy, and warm flavor. Fresh ginger is also grated or julienned and added to stir-fries, and is famously used to make a soothing and spicy chai (tea).

  Ginger

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  Ghee, or clarified butter, is an ancient ingredient in Indian cuisine that has been used for millennia. Made by melting butter to remove water and milk proteins, ghee has a high smoke point and a rich, nutty flavor. In Ayurvedic tradition, it is considered beneficial for digestion and health. Ghee is used for cooking, frying, and enriching dishes like dal, rice, and Indian desserts.

  Ghee

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  Salt is an indispensable flavor enhancer in Indian cuisine. Besides regular table salt, India also uses kala namak (black salt), a volcanic salt with a distinctive sulfurous taste, used in chaat masala and refreshing drinks. Himalayan pink salt, mined from Pakistan, is also highly prized for its purity and minerals.

  Salt

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  Tomatoes, although introduced relatively recently to India by the Portuguese, have become a fundamental ingredient in modern Indian cuisine. They provide acidity, color, and body to curries. Tomatoes are used fresh, pureed, or canned to create the rich, flavorful sauces characteristic of dishes like butter chicken or tikka masala.

  Tomatoes

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  Water is an essential element in preparing Indian dishes. It is used to cook rice, prepare dals, thin sauces, and adjust the consistency of curries. The quality and quantity of water added directly influences the final texture of the dish.

  Water

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  Fresh coriander, also called cilantro, is the most widely used aromatic herb in Indian cuisine. Its green, fragrant leaves bring incomparable freshness to dishes. Used as a final garnish on curries, biryanis, and chaats, it is also the main ingredient in green chutney (pudina chutney) served with samosas and pakoras.

  Coriander leaves

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  Potatoes, introduced to India by the Portuguese, have become an essential ingredient in Indian cuisine. They are the base of many dishes like aloo gobi, aloo paratha, samosa, and vada pav. Versatile, they perfectly absorb spices and bring a comforting texture to vegetarian curries.

  Potatoes

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  Eggplant is a highly valued vegetable throughout India. Baingan bharta, a puree of roasted eggplant with spices, is an iconic Punjabi dish. In the south, brinjal curry and kathirikai gothsu are popular preparations. Eggplant is also used in pickles and sambar.

  Eggplant