Kitchenpostcards
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Youtube
breakfast, Dinner, Entree, homemade, lunch, vegetables, vegetarian  /  December 23, 2019

Saunf wale Aloo Baingan – Fennel flavoured goodness!

by Sakshi Kapoor

Most winter mornings make me crave a paratha-sabzi breakfast. It is what I grew up eating- a simple sookhi sabzi and a nice crispy paratha. All this washed down with a hot cup of adrak wali chai. This Saunf wale Aloo Baingan that I am talking about here are really simple. You may have seen the Instant Pot Aloo baingan by guest blogger Kanika on our blog which results in a oozy decadent goodness. While Aloo Baingan is a fairly common sabzi, what makes this version stand out is the use of fennel seeds or saunf.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Saunf wale aloo baingan recipe
Saunf wale Aloo Baingan served with hot parathas

The magic of Saunf

I use saunf in only a handful of recipes but I still always keep a stock of it in my pantry. That is because it is the star ingredients in these recipes. Old Delhi style Aloo ki sabzi, Khatti meethi Kaddu ki sabzi and Gheeya Chane ki daal are some of the recipes I cannot imagine would be the same had I not used saunf in them. Kanika’s version of Achari Kaddu also uses fennel seeds.

Punjabi style Khatti meethi Kaddu ki Sabzi recipe
Saunf, jeera and Methre (Fennel, Cumin and Fenugreek seeds)

The addition of Saunf in the tadka not only makes the dish more fragrant and flavourful, it also lends its digestive properties to the dish. That little dish full of saunf that you find at the end of a meal at Indian restaurants not only helps as a breath freshener but also helps in digestion. But I don’t know, to what extent.

That is not all, the Punjabi version of Aam ka achaar also relies on saunf as one of the main spices. A version without saunf is just not the real deal. Try this Aam ka Achaar with some Feeki Mathhi/Mathri (unsalted fried crackers) and chai and you have a lovely evening snack. But I must warn you, it is really addictive. Then of course, there are uses of saunf in Kashmiri food, Bengali food and some Gujarati snacks like Muthiya. Saunf remains an integral ingredient in Indian cooking even though its origins are from the Mediterranean region. In the west of course, fennel is used in other forms.

Fennel bulbs with greens was a rare sight for me when I first came to Dubai. I had never tasted or seen fennel bulbs in India. On their recent visit to Dubai, I introduced my parents to the fennel bulb by using it in a salad and even a pulao. Even though it tastes just as fragrant and astringent like as the seeds, the effect that seeds have steeped and bloomed in hot oil is unrivalled.

So try this easy Saunf wale Baingan Aloo and find our on your own. Here’s how you make them.

Saunf Wale Aloo Baingan
Ingredients for Saunf Wale Aloo Baingan

Ingredients

  • 2 large long eggplants or 4 small eggplants
  • Onion, 1 big, sliced
  • Potato, 1 big
  • Tomato, 1 big, roughly chopped
  • Vegetable oil, 1 1/2 tbsp
  • Fennel seeds (saunf), 1/2 teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds (jeera), 1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt to taste
  • Kashmiri red chilli powder, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, adjust according to taste
  • Turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon
  • Garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon

Method

Gather all the ingredients and wash the eggplants, tomatoes and potato.

Measure and pound the fennel (saunf) and cumin seeds together.

Pound the fennel and cumin seeds together for the tadka.

Peel the onions and potatoes. Slice the onions and keep aside.

Cut the eggplant and the potatoes length wise into two inch sticks. Wash coriander leaves and stems and let them sit on a kitchen towel to drain. Clean any rotting or dirty stems while washing.

Place a heavy bottom kadhai or skillet on medium heat. Pour oil and let it heat.

Once the oil is glistening, add the pounded fennel (Saunf) and Cumin (jeera) seeds. Let the seeds splutter as you reach out for the chopped vegetables.

Next, add the onions, potatoes and eggplants and stir to coat them in oil. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and toss carefully without bruising the eggplant pieces.

Cover with a lid so that the vegetables cook in steam. If using a cast iron skillet, reduce heat to medium low so that it does not burn.

Aloo Baingan
Cook the sabzi in a covered vessel/pan.

Check in 5 minutes if the potatoes are cooked. You can do this by piercing a knife through a piece to see if it goes through smoothly without force.

Next, add tomatoes and the coriander powder and stir well. If you think that the contents of your pan look dry or are sticking to the pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover. Cook till the tomatoes are soft, which should happen in 4-5 minutes on low heat.

Meanwhile, bunch up the clean coriander leaves and chop.

After 2 minutes of cooking, take the pan off heat, sprinkle garam masala and chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Serve this Saunf wale Baingan Aloo ki Sabzi with hot ajwain parathas for a hearty winter breakfast.

Saunf wale Aloo Baingan
Saunf Wale Aloo Baingan served with hot parathas
  • Aloo Baingan ki sabzi – easy and delicious!
  • Aloo Baingan in a kadhai with a garnish of coriander
  • Kashmiri Style Khatte Baingan
  • Kashmiri Khatte Baingan
  • Baingan ki Kachri
  • Baingan ki Kachri recipe
  • Instant Pot Aloo Baingan
  • How to make Aloo Baingan in instant Pot
  • Bedmi Aloo ~ An Old Delhi Special Brunch
  • Purani Dilli Bedmi Aloo
  • Kitchenpostcards Podcast S1, Ep2: Seasonal Eating- Summer & Monsoon
  • Alphonso Mango
Saunf wale Aloo Baingan
Print Recipe

Saunf wale Aloo Baingan

A simple saunf flavoured Aloo Baingan sabzi that is hearty and comforting. A great side to hot parathas or rotis.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: entree, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: aloo baingan, Saunf Wale Aloo Baingan, Saunf Wale Alu Baingan, Sonf wale Alu Baingan
Servings: 4
Author: Sakshi Kapoor

Equipment

  • Kadhai, Skillet or Pan with a lid

Ingredients

  • 2 to 4 2 large long Eggplants or 4 small Eggplants/ Baingan
  • 1 Onion/Pyaaz large
  • 1 Potato/ Aloo large
  • 1 Tomato/ Tamatar large
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Vegetable Oil/ Tel
  • 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds/ Saunf
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds/ Jeera
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder/ Kashmiri Lal Mirch Powder adjust according to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder/ Haldi
  • 1 tsp Coriander powder/ Dhaniya powder
  • 1/4 tsp Garam masala
  • 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves/ Hara Dhaniya cleaned, rinsed and chopped (optional)

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients and wash the eggplants, tomatoes potato and the coriander leaves if using.
  • Measure and pound the fennel (Saunf) and cumin seeds together.
  • Peel the onions and potatoes. Slice the onions and keep aside.
  • Cut the eggplant and the potatoes length wise into two inch sticks. Wash coriander leaves and stems and let them sit on a kitchen towel to drain. Clean any rotting or dirty stems while washing.
  • Place a heavy bottom kadhai or skillet on medium heat. Pour oil and let it heat.
  • Once the oil is glistening, add the pounded fennel (Saunf) and Cumin (Jeera) seeds. Let the seeds splutter as you reach out for the chopped vegetables.
  • Next, add the onions, potatoes and eggplants and stir to coat them in oil. Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and toss carefully without bruising the eggplant pieces.
  • Cover with a lid so that the vegetables cook in steam. If using a cast iron skillet, reduce heat to medium low so that it does not burn. Let the sabzi cook in a covered kadhai/skillet/ pan.
  • Check in 5 minutes if the potatoes are cooked. You can do this by piercing a knife through a piece to see if it goes through smoothly without force.
  • Next, add tomatoes and the coriander powder and stir well. If you think that the contents of your pan look dry or are sticking to the pan, add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover. Cook till the tomatoes are soft, which should happen in 4-5 minutes on low heat.
  • Meanwhile, bunch up the clean coriander leaves and chop.
  • After 2 minutes of cooking, take the pan off heat, sprinkle garam masala and chopped fresh coriander leaves.
  • Serve this Saunf wale Baingan Aloo ki Sabzi with hot ajwain parathas for a hearty winter breakfast.

Notes

  • You can use eggplants/brinjals/ baingans of  whatever shape of size you find. 

Like this:

Like Loading...

Tags

  • aloo baingan
  • fennel
  • sabzi
  • saunf
  • sookhi sabzi

Post navigation

Chocolate Mug Cake with Oats and Coconut Oil
Quinoa Kheer in the Instant Pot

2 comments

  • Ramesh Menon
    December 23, 2019

    I am going to try this out for sure. Thanks.

    Loading...
    Reply
    • Sakshi Kapoor
      December 23, 2019

      Great! Do tell us how it was 🙂

      Loading...
      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search this site

Subscribe via email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Easy Homemade Hummus

Recent Recipes

  • The Dispatch: Food Talk with ChatGPT
  • The Dubai Dispatch: Farmers Market in Dubai
  • Bhuna Jeera ~ Toasted Cumin Powder
  • Chilli Coconut Dal Palak
  • Bharwan Karela – a no waste recipe!

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Elara by LyraThemes
  • © 2023 Kitchenpostcards – All rights reserved.
%d bloggers like this: