Eggplant Aloo

This is aloo (potatoes) with baigan (eggplant). Chop the ingredients (ignore the zucchini, for a different recipe!)

Cook the potatoes in a microwave for 7-9mins.

In the meantime, prepare the eggplant mix, pan fry some chopped onion and add the tomatoes. Add some cumin seeds in olive oil and add to the mix. Add chilli, heeng which an essential flavor and salt to taste.

Move to a deep pot, add the eggplant and cover to cook. Mash it to make a nice even mix. Finally add the potatoes and allow the flavor to settle in!

Flan

Something to sweeten your day - main ingredients - eggs, condensed milk, evaporated milk, regular milk and sugar! Before anything else set to pre-heat your oven to 375F

Prepare the mix - In a blender add eggs, vanilla (home made!), milk, condensed and evaporated milk.

Prepare the caramelized sugar then pour into a Pyrex pan ready for the oven!

Vanilla Extract

Yes, this is the real deal - no artificial flavors! Also this is a long process - 6 months to get your first extract so be patient. Essential ingredients:

Slice open the vanilla beans - we found ours at the Hawaii Vanilla Company on the Big Island.
Inside are thousands of tiny seeds and you will instantly smell the familiar vanilla flavor. Add to a bottle, pour in the vodka and then your wait begins for about 6mths!

Shake the bottle every few months and you will see the color darken. After about 6 months pour out 1/3 of the bottle. Refill with vodka and we were told it is supposed to last for years! (Empty out 1/3 every 6mths).

Add to a variety of recipes, eg: Flan. More will come soon.