The trees are laden with scarlet gulmohur and golden laburnum, the mulberry trees that abound in this neighbourhood are gleaming green, and I’m home! For two years we moved away to allow reconstruction, and now I’m back to my old neighbourhood and my old home but in a spanking new house with a kitchen so modern that I fear I won’t know the half of its gizmos. But of the disasters that are sure to come, another time.
More than colours of the plants, the warm sense of homecoming comes from the neighbours. Vinita — who in the old days used to send me homemade papri chaat — is now the proud possessor of a new baby: her Espresso machine. So the best coffee is just across the road and, when I’m battling plumbers and builders, the sweetest, coldest water is a shout away; Aparna and Sulekha next door make the most tender quiche, and Harish and Renuka, down the lane, pillars of support, have the most civilised home that I used often as an oasis in the desert of Construction Fatigue. Rajiv and Kanika, also across the road, had us to lunch the day we returned. I had to fight off Rajiv’s beery blandishments, but succumbed to Kanika’s: thalis with dozens of katoris , and delicious desi khana served with more warmth than the 46°C afternoon.
The next day we were invited to the oasis for dinner. Both Renuka and Harish pamper you with a chilled home, chilled drinks, warm company and great food. A new neighbour, Gauri, who cooks, had made the dinner. The evening started with her hummus and thin, crisp ragi crackers. Renuka herself had made a Boursin-like dip that she served with crudités and chips. We ate it in such vast quantities that a few days later she came over with a tub of it: a creamy mixture of cheese, hung yoghurt and garlic. But those had just been starters. Dinner was olive and rosemary bread — Gauri actually bakes it at home — many vegetables and chickens and such, but what remains in memory are her egg salad, aubergines parmigiana, and roast bell peppers. There was every colour of pepper, nicely garlicky and oily, with an unexpected kick. I bit innocently into a mouthful and discovered with delight that one of the peppers was a red chilli. The egg salad was unexpectedly zingy because, to the dressing of sour cream, hung yoghurt, and a hint of egg mayonnaise, she had added two kinds of mustard: a prepared French wholegrain and some dry mustard powder. The eggs had been cut into small random shapes, not clearly quartered or sliced, but more wedge-like, and the yolks were crumbling gently into that keen sauce, to make a chilled dish so fine that I could eat it three times a day, mopping up the smooth dressing with warm bread. The eggplant was juicy, rich reddish brown and topped with a layer of aromatic golden cheese.
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And
It is good to be back.
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Serves 4-6
2 medium eggplants (aubergine)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, sliced
For the sauce
1 kg tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic paste
Salt
Pepper
Chopped fresh herbs: 1/2 tsp oregano and 1 tsp basil
Pinch of sugar
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).
Slice eggplants thinly. Sprinkle with salt and leave in a colander to drain. Meanwhile make the sauce. Chop tomatoes. Heat a tablespoon of oil. Add garlic paste. Do not brown. When it softens add the chopped tomatoes. Cook on medium heat. Add salt, pepper and herbs (less if using dry herbs). Stir in a pinch of sugar. Add chilli flakes if you like a punch. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep aside.
Pat the eggplant slices dry. Brown both sides on a non-stick pan using minimal oil.
Assemble the dish in an ovenproof dish (8” x 8”). Spread some sauce on the base. Cover with a layer of overlapping eggplant slices. Place a layer of mozzarella cheese and spoon sauce over it. Continue layering, ending with sauce on top. Grate Parmesan on top.
Cover with foil and bake 25-30 minutes. Take out of oven, remove foil and return to oven to brown. About 5 minutes.
Topping could be varied to:
• A mixture of breadcrumbs, Parmesan and a pinch of dried herbs.
• Mixed assorted cheeses, like Gruyère and Parmesan. In this case, mozzarella can be done without.
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