From w
The most common food on the farm in Labasa is eggplant or baigani, mostly the long purple kind. The picture here shows a whole variety of baigans. I believe it’s a vegetable that originated in India. If there’s nothing else to eat, there’s still always a few baigan plants nearby. Some people hate them – such as one of our sons – but I reckon there are at least ten ways to cook them, some more tastier than others. I’ve seen them used in cafes here in Geelong, just blanched or sort of barbecued and there isn’t much taste at all - the chef ought to use garlic or herbs. It’s a poor man’s food I reckon, not gourmet.
Here’s my list:
1. fried as fritters in rounds – very good with lots of salt and pepper
2. fried in pieces dipped in a batter made with flour and egg – okay
3. barbecued with a few spices – okay
4. curried with potatoes - okay
5. with tomatoes as a chutney - okay
6. with meat as a curry – it really is an extender to feed more people
7. part of a fried rice dish – well, if there’s nothing else
8. sliced and cooked in coconut cream – not for me
9. with tinned fish - as an extender to feed more
10. stuffed with other things – too much work
Of course when the floods damage the food gardens in Labasa, once, and even twice, there isn't even baigan to eat. Sobosobo, how those people suffer in these times.
w, re 2nd way, leave out na yaloka and use very cold water to make a lite batter. U'll get a tempura style baigani then. Taste better and not as greasy as when u have d'egg
ReplyDeleteHey W,
ReplyDeleteAdd this-Shepards Pie with Baigani and tomato layers.
LOL! Isa the good old baigani. Yes, it's nice as curry with other vegies or potato or just plain fried. I don't like it with coconut cream!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLet me try commenting without the mistakes. ;^)
ReplyDeleteI ate a lot of eggplant as a college student - when there was nothing else. I still like it a lot.
Eggplant parmesan, eggplant and tomato spaghetti sauce, eggplant with miso, etc.
W, here's another you would have had in Fiji - chokoed (roasted over charcoal or an open flame - then pulped and jazzed up with garlic, chillies, onions and lemon juice and eaten with roti. Yum............
ReplyDeleteHmmm. The lemon juice sounds a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI've getting email messages about baigan recipes - one from an Italian girl who is very creative in her recipes.
Even the Age newspaper had a little memo about them, saying people used to believe they were aphrodisaic, and others said it makes people go mad!
w.
People write comments on my trivia postings but not on the errant political ones - perhaps they are worried about getting a call up to the barracks and doing pressups! One blogger, or more, have deleted their posts and stopped writing because or intimidation so that is really sad.
Go Voreqe!
ReplyDeleteLa'i vei?
ReplyDeleteGo where?
Ate so much Baigani when I was in boarding school have gone off it permanently. They had two great recipes to choose from:
ReplyDeleteBaigani soup:
Baigani, water, salt
Baigani curry:
Baigani soup + 2 tblspoon curry power
Serve with kadrala tavioka.
Yuck! How awful. Not at Lelean surely? I think the meals at Dudley were more tasty, but dhal bhat every lunchtime must have given those girls very hardy intestines!
ReplyDeleteI know that in the old days, meals were rather 'ordinary' in some boarding schools, tapioca and tapioca and tinned fish curry. Maybe two tins for eighty kids!
w.