Baigan Bharta
To break down the name, Eggplant is Baigan in Hindi and Bharta means mashed. You fire roast the eggplant and then cook it further with spices onion and tomato. Eggplant, my absolute favorite vegetables and I prepare it in several ways. I don’t think I will ever get bored with this vegetable. It’s creamy and soaks any flavor you put it in. Roasted eggplant is so good and once roasted you can use it in so many. If you ask my preferred choice, it will forever be Bengali style roasted Eggplant - Begun Poda While Begun Poda is my first choice with roasted eggplant, Baigan Bharta is my husband’s fav! So I keep switching between the two.
Ingredients you need:
EggplantOnionTomatoGreen Chilicilantro leaves
Spices:
Cumin seedsCumin powderCoriander powderChili powderAam chur powder (dry mango powder)
How to prepare Baigan Bharta
Start by slitting the eggplant and stuff cloves of garlic and green chili. I like to char the garlic and green chili too for extra smoky flavor. Along with that, I also roast the tomato. Remove the charred skin then instead of mashing it, I finely chop it using a knife (watch the video to understand better). This technique creates a fluffy texture of the eggplant. Then do the same with the tomato, garlic and green chili. Ina heavy bottom skillet, stir fry the onion and then add the charred eggplant, charred tomato, garlic and green chili. Add all the ground spices and cook it for a while. Finish with cilantro leaves. You must avoid adding too many spices and keep it very basic. The key flavor of the dish comes from the creamy, smoky charred eggplant. By adding too many spices, you will lose that key flavor.
WATCH THE VIDEO
MORE EGGPLANT DISHES TO TRY
Doi Begun (Eggplant In Spiced Yogurt) Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Pasta Salad Begun Bhaja Begun Poda You can find lot more in this link
What kind of eggplant works best for Baigan Bharta?
The large globe eggplant works best for this dish. Pick the one that feel firm to touch and is deep purple in shade.
Can you bake the eggplant?
Typically, for this dish you roast the eggplant in open fire which will give that char smoky flavor. When you bake eggplant, it will soften, and you can use that to make Baigan Bharta, but you will miss that smoky flavor. You serve Baigan Bharta with paratha and if you have left over, try it on sandwich with some cheese. It is delicious in both the form.
