Tsuk Wangun

India is such a vast country with so many different cuisines and there various dishes which are unknown to people, Tsuk Wangun (Spicy and tangy baby aubergines) is definitely one of them. With my collaboration on Instagram with some incredibly talented food bloggers, cooking cuisines from different parts of India, I am exploring a lot of these hidden delicacies.

So here it is my take on this Kashmir delicacy, Tsuk Wangun.

Ingredients:

Serves 3

• 6 baby aubergines
• 1 big onion finely sliced
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp ginger powder
• ¼ cup dried tamarind
• ¾ cup water
• 2-3 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2.5 tbsp mustard oil
• Salt to taste

For Marination:

• 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
• ½  tsp salt and turmeric powder
• 1 tsp fresh green or red chilli paste

 

Directions:

Mix the ingredients of the marination.

Slit the aubergines keeping the stems joining, stuff the paste in them. Keep it aside for 30 minutes. In 1 tbsp oil, shallow fry the aubergines till they are almost done. Keep it aside.

 

Boil the tamarind in ¾ cup water for 5-10 minutes till it becomes ½ cup. Strain it and keep it aside.

 

Heat 1 tsp oil add the sliced onions and cook till they turn brown. Make a paste of the browned onions.

Heat rest of the oil, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and red chilli. Add the ginger and garlic paste, sauté for 2 minutes.

Add all the spice powders with 1 tbsp of water, mix it well. Add in the tomato puree and cook on a high flame till the water evaporates.

Add in the onion paste, tamarind pulp and mix it well, continue to cook till the gravy thickens.

Now add in the fried aubergine and about ½ cup water. Cook till they are completely cooked.

Garnish with coriander.