Friday, January 17, 2014

You Dip I Dip We Dip

Well, I'm not exactly sure if this is defined as a dip.  Although I dip my crackers and chips (crisps for all you international readers) into it, I also use it to sauce up some of the plain foods I eat daily.  Not only does this Eggplant Dinanche serves as a flavorful, kick in the mouth condiment, I feel I get a good dose of vitamins for eating my vegetables.  On Guam the common term is known as Donne' Dinanche.  Donne' refers to a variety of hot peppers grown on Guam and Dinanche (Deenantsee) refers to sauce/condiments spicy in nature.  This post features one in particular, the Egglant Dinanche.  Here's the bogus thing.  I've never made this.  I love eating this stuff at parties and gatherings, but I fear that if I was left to my own devices, I shall not be true to it's integrity.  This stuff is so hot, that oddly I keep putting more of it into my mouth.  So to ensure I do not screw up, I provided assistance to the chef my friend and roommate, Brandon.  So in his own words, "You'd better learn to make this yourself!" he was happy to make it.

So here are your ingredients.


In the basket are Green Beans, Wing Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, White Onions, a rice bowl of Thai peppers and Eggplant.  Standing behind the basket are two cans of coconut milk.  The procedure is relatively easy. Truly, with a labor of love, this side-dish bring out the best.  Simply, wash all of the ingredients shown. With a chef knife, rough chop the onions, eggplant and tomatoes.  Slice down all of the beans and hot peppers into itty bitty pieces.    Be sure to oil up your hands before slicing the peppers.  Vegetable oil would do. I've seen first hand what those tiny suckers can do to delicate hands.  How spicy you'd like it is entirely up to you. Putting in more Thai peppers makes it very spicy (Duh!). 

Heat up a medium-sized pot on medium heat.  Throw in the Coconut milk and cook until simmering.  As it starts to simmer, throw in the onions, tomato, eggplant, green and wing beans.  Start boiling them until it reduces to a thickened mush. Add in the sliced hot peppers, some salt for taste.  Stir it all in for about five minutes and Voila!


What it lacks in looks can truly be expressed in substance.  As you can see, on this evening I ate it with some sweet barbecue short ribs.  That recipe will be on for a later time.  My favorite thing to eat this with is a whole box of Wheat Thins crackers.  I sandwich this with two crackers and I find myself content for lunch.  I've seen friends eat this as their vegetable side dish.  Sometimes I see people pour it over their steamed rice (delicious on all varieties of rice)  So, Maila' Fan Boca!  (Come and Eat) Enjoy! 

2 comments:

  1. I had a pleasant Indian dish one summer evening in a small, family owned and operated hole-in-the-wall restaurant on a side street while in Thailand. It could only seat about 10 people max and had grandma in the kitchen. She wore her bright red sari with grace and worked swiftly to make my meal. Their version is strikingly similar this one. The exception was a very heavy, dominant, smoky element with a slight trace of what I think is cumin. It went very well with yet another vegetarian Indian dish of vegetables in a thick, curry-like sauce over basmati garlic rice. Your island version brings back vivid childhood memories of weekend fiestas and carefree summer breaks.

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    1. Considering the region, it's slightly unsurprising that there would be similarities. How fragrant that might have been for you. The imagination is running wild right now at the thought of cumin and curry in my dinanche. At the same time, I'd probably need to prepare myself with a towel with all that heat.

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