Ratatouille

Ratatouille

A French dish, which became more famous because of it's name sake cartoon movie, is a real treat for the vegetarians. Prepared in minutes, this dish can easily become a part of your regular Indian meals. Only changes I have done is omitted the Zucchini. Those who can manage to get them from the food stores, they can easily make more original version of the dish.

Preparation Time  : 20 minutes

Cooking time        : 30 minutes

Difficulty              : Easy

Serves                   : 4

Ingredients   :              

 

• 4 (about 500g) zucchini, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2cm-thick slices (this can be omitted and you can use Ridged Gourd - Turai instead)
• 2 red capsicums, halved, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 large (about 500g) Brinjal (Eggplant), cut into 2cm pieces
• 1 Onion, halved, coarsely chopped
• 4 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 600 grams of ripe Tomatoes, Blanched, deseeded, and finely chopped
• 125ml (1/2 cup) water
• 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Ground Pepper to taste

Method :

1) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the zucchini (or Turai), Capsicum, Brinjal (Eggplant), Onion and Garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft.

2) Add the Tomatoes ( chopped)  and water to the pan and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

3) Add the Tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

4) Serve Hot. You can even try and eat this with Indian breads like Roti or Paratha, it'll taste equally good. In case you want to keep the French touch, add some Crusty bread on the side of the plate and it's done.