Baingan Aur Pyaz Raita (Seasoned Yoghurt With Eggplant And Onion)

Todays recipe for Raita is inspired by my sister Annu’s version of Eggplant Raita. I’m not sure if my version exists out there but I like to think it doesn’t and that I created it. I love onions cooked and raw or in any which way so I decided to give it my twist and add that into my Raita. I absolutely loved it!!! Do give it a try and see if you like it too. It’s simple, it’s easy and a unique take on your usual Raitas.

Well as you all know by now my post won’t be complete without my totally unrelated to food prattling. Let me tell you a bit about my adventure in my favourite travel destination Thailand. You see I was always apprehensive about travelling to Thailand only because I had so eagerly watched a movie called “Shocking Asia” many years ago. It left a jaw dropping, eye popping, thought provoking effect on me. Well in fact I was amusingly traumatised. So here’s a little snippet of my very first trip there. Mind you my trip there wasn’t an option it just so happened that the cheapest route to India was via Thailand so off we went.

When I first landed in Bangkok my first impression was wow! I’m in a clean version of India..oh wait or is it Middle East? Umm why do I feel like I’m still in Australia. Yep! that was my reaction. I somehow felt I hadn’t left Sydney at all..Liverpool to be precise. Now if you’re a fellow Aussie and been to the wonderful western suburbs of Liverpool you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

I just love the country for the warmth of the Thai people and the multiculturalism however I was still a bit wary. I had read and been warned so much about the things of the weird kind happening there that I jumped everytime someone said “Sawadee Kha” (hello) feeling they all had an ulterior motive. Although in Hindi Swad similar sounding to sawadee is tasty and Kha means eat…hmmm what shall we make of this then? I leave it to your imaginative minds.😉

You know when tourists visit Australia for the first time they are almost always on a lookout for Kangaroos and Koalas in our cities, airports, parks but mainly at the beach hoping to see them in their speedos, wearing an Akubra hat, enjoying a BBQ and skulling some schooners (just kidding!). Well what do you know..when sightseeing in Bangkok I was on a lookout too. I had my eyes on full sos scanning alert for “ladyboys”. They are so called gorgeous males adorned as divas and pretty much well tucked “down under”. I remember getting Thai massage services in my hotel room (such luxury) and being super paranoid that my masseuse was a ladyboy. Now it’s not that I had a problem with it..I just didnt want “her” to envy my jalti jawani (burning) beauty that’s all.

I looked at everyone in a suspicious manner so much so that I feared my DH will be lured by gorgeous Thai women to the region of “Thai-Sutra”. They would entice him by saying “sawadee krab (you might just end up catching it if you ain’t playing safe) come she teacha you ping pong..she maker you happy“. But in reality what I found was that almost everyone (except the dodgy few) were pretty cool there and having a ball and letting their hairs and what not down. We also bumped into a few fellas from back home who had several Thai beauties hanging off their arms..”lucky buggers!!”(DH’s words not mine). What does this say about our men? Well drink yer beers, enjoy yer barbie..just make sure you can spot the difference mate! Can’t wait for my next trip!

Ingredients
1 Medium Sizes Eggplant (I used the thicker dark purple variety)
1 Large Onion
1 Clove Garlic
1&1/2 Cup Yoghurt
Oil for Shallow Frying
Salt To Taste

Method
• Wash,dry and slice eggplant into medium to thin half moon shapes.
• Slice onion into ring shapes.
• Crush the garlic and add into the bowl of whisked yoghurt with salt.
• Now heat some oil into a non-stick frypan and shallow fry the eggplant pieces until lightly browned and drain into absorbent paper.
• Repeat the same with the onion rings.
• Add the onion rings and fried eggplant pieces into the yoghurt and stir. Serve with Roti or Chawal.

This dish is best served with Biryani and Pulao or anything else you fancy.