Choonth Wangan

Name: Choonth Wangan
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 cup corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 1 pound eggplant, preferably the small lavender kind, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 pound Granny Smith or other tart, crisp apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths; 1/2 cup tamarind paste, homemade (page 585) or store-bought; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch of ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne; 1/4 teaspoon asafetida (hing; see page 10), optional; Salt and black pepper to taste; Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

December 14, 2011

It took me a long time to figure out what was in this mysteriously flavored concoction, and even then I had to ask my host (who was from Kashmir, where this is common) what was going on here. The apples and eggplant complement each other perfectly, to the point where each loses a bit of its identity and gains something unusual. Serve this as a side dish any time you like, not just with Indian food.

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