Brinjal Sabzi with Finger Millet and Wheat Crackers

I sometimes like making everyday food interesting by giving it a little twist. Some days back, as I got up to prepare lunch, I realized there weren’t too many vegetables in the fridge. I hadn’t planned lunch that day by soaking any lentils in advance, either. So basically, I was left with very little choice.

Since Brinjal is not exactly anyone’s favourite in my home, I usually make it along with another dish, which acts as a backup. But today, with no lunch plan in place, I had little choice. To make it a bit interesting, I decided to make brinjal sabzi and pair it with crackers instead of the regular roti or rice. I also slightly changed the brinjal recipe and gave it a little twist.

So, here is how I made it:

If you are interested in other brinjal recipes, you can check out Baingan Bharta, Brinjal Curry-South Indian Style, Brinjal Fry and Mixed Veg Sambar.

Now, let’s start:

Equipment needed:

Pan: https://amzn.to/3RHjvid
Mixing bowl: https://amzn.to/48Er6nL
Knives: https://amzn.to/3Lg64Bj
Chopping Board: https://amzn.to/3K0dh8L
Rolling pin and board: https://amzn.to/3RNgwoz

Ingredients needed to make Brinjal Sabzi with Finger Millet and Wheat Crackers

Ingredients needed for Brinjal Sabzi:

4-5 Thin Long Brinjals; washed and cut into pieces
1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
2 Cloves Garlic; chopped
1 tsp Red Chilli Flakes
Salt; to taste
1 Tomato; washed and chopped
⅓ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Cumin Powder
2 Medium-Sized Onions; finely chopped
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Dill Leaves; for garnishing

Ingredients needed for Finger Millet and Wheat Crackers:

¾ Cup Finger Millet (Ragi Flour)
½ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
¼ Cup Refined Flour
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
3 tbsp Flax Seeds
Water; to knead the dough
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Onion Seeds; for sprinkling

Method to make Brinjal Sabzi with Finger Millet and Wheat Crackers:

Method to make Brinjal Sabzi:

Wash and cut the brinjals into small pieces.
Heat sunflower oil in a pan. Add garlic. Fry till they change their colour. Then add red chilli flakes. Fry for a few seconds.
Now add chopped brinjal.
Add tomatoes. Mix.
Add salt, turmeric powder and cumin powder.
Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook till the brinjal turns tender. Once the brinjal is cooked, mash it with the spatula.
Add finely chopped onions.
Mix well. Turn off the heat. Drizzle olive oil, garnish with fresh dill leaves and serve.

Method to make Finger Millet and Wheat Flour Crackers

In a mixing bowl, combine finger millet flour, whole wheat flour, refined flour, salt, cumin seeds, red chilli powder and flax seeds.
Now, add water and knead it into a smooth dough.
Add oil. Knead once again.
Then, cover and rest the dough for about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven at 200 deg C.
Take small portions of the dough. Round it.
Roll it thin. Use dry flour. Sprinkle some onion seeds and run the rolling pin once again so that the seeds stick to the rolled dough.
Cut into big pieces with a knife.
Transfer these pieces to a lined baking tray. Bake for about 7-8 minutes. Remove and let them cool a bit before serving.
Brinjal Sabzi with Finger Millet and Wheat Crackers is ready to be served.

Some Additional Notes:

I served the crackers with Brinjal Sabzi. You can pair it with any sabzi or dip as per your preference.
You can serve the crackers like I did, OR you can crush them and add them to your salads to get that extra crunch. You can even serve these crackers with a bowl of soup to make a wholesome meal.
I added flax seeds to the dough. You can skip it if you wish or add other seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, etc. You can get creative!
I made these crackers with finger Millet Flour. You can use any millet flour of your choice for this recipe.

Here is the recipe in printable format: