- Preparation time
- 50 mins
- Cooking time
- 90 mins
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Serves
- 4 people
- Meal course
- Lunch
- Posted by
- Posted on
- February 7, 2017
- 1 1/2 tbspn
- Oil
- 1 tsp
- Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp
- Ginger, grated
- 2 individual
- Green chilies (optional), finely chopped
- 2 large
- Tomatoes, chopped
- 1 large
- Red onion, chopped
- 2 large
- Eggplants
- 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric powder
- 2 tsp
- Coriander powder
- 1 tsp
- Cumin powder
- 1 tsp
- Garam masala
- 1 tsp
- Red chili powder (optional)
- 2 handful
- Cilantro, chopped
Baingan bharta where ‘baingan‘ means eggplants and ‘bharta‘ means a mashup, is an Indian dish relished with naan or rotis. Traditionally, the eggplants are roasted on the fire, the skin then peeled and the mash cooked with spices. In this recipe, I have roasted the eggplants in the oven. It’s a lot easier to scoop up the pulp this way and not messy at all. However, you do miss the taste of eggplants roasted on an open fire or grill. This dish might remind you of the middle-eastern dish ‘baba ganoush‘, but it is a spicy Indian version of it.
Cooking tip: Do not rush with this dish. Take your time to sauté the onions and tomatoes on a slow flame to get a great flavour.
Sourcing tip: You can get garam masala in any super market or an Indian grocery store.
- 1. Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees, cut the eggplants into half, brush oil on the eggplants and roast them face-up until they become tender. Then turn the eggplants skin side up and broil (grill) on high for 5 minutes.
- 2. Once the eggplants are tender and soft, let it cool for sometime. Then scoop off the flesh and transfer to a bowl. Now mash the scooped eggplant pulp thoroughly and keep aside.
- 3. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
- 4. When the cumin seeds start to crackle, add the chopped onions and let it cook till they are soft and turn golden.
- 5. Add the ginger, garlic and chilies and sauté for a few seconds.
- 6. Add the tomatoes and sauté. Let the tomatoes cook for a while till it becomes mushy and the oil separates from the mixture. Tip: Cook on a slow to medium flame and don’t forget to keep stirring in order to prevent to mixture to get stuck to the bottom of the pan or burn.
- 7. After the oil separates, add the garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and chili powder. Mix everything.
- 8.. Add the mashed eggplant flesh/pulp and salt. Mix it all together and let it cook on a slow to medium flame for 3-4 minutes.
- 9. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
- You can serve this with naan or rotis.
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