Pondicherry Bastille Day Vegetable Gratin
A locally spiced vegetable gratin baked with cheese and cream, made in Puducherry's Franco-Tamil homes to mark Bastille Day celebrations.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 240 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking dish
- •Oven
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- fat
- 14 g
- carbs
- 22 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 240 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat your oven to 190°C. Rub butter inside a baking dish to grease it well.
- 2
Put the cream, milk, minced garlic, crushed pepper and salt into a saucepan. Warm gently over low heat.
- 3
Arrange the sliced potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and onions in layers in the dish. Season lightly between layers.
- 4
Pour the warm cream mixture evenly all over the layered vegetables.
- 5
Scatter the chopped curry leaves over the top.
- 6
Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- 7
Take off the foil and sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake for another 15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- 8
Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Chef's tips
Cut the vegetables into evenly thin slices so they cook at the same speed. The curry leaves give this classic baked gratin dish a special Puducherry flavour.
Ingredient substitutions
- fresh cream → coconut cream for a dairy-light version
- pumpkin → sweet potato
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 160°C until warmed through to retain texture.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting vegetables into uneven thicknesses, which prevents them from cooking evenly
- •Skipping the 5-minute rest, which causes the warm slices to fall apart
Serving suggestions
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