Baingan (a.k.a Eggplant or Brinjal) is an ordinary vegetable however when used creatively, it can create mouth watering wonders. “Baingan Bharta” is one such wonderful recipe. This is usually served as the side dish with Roti, Naan, Parantha or even Daal-Baati. Some people also call it vegetarian’s grilling substitute for chicken. The magic of “Baingan Bharta” lies in its roasted smokey flavor which originally came from the clay ovens (a.k.a. “Tandoors”) used in old times. Though the new style homes usually don’t have these clay ovens anymore but the good news is that you can still make this delicious dish using the common electric oven or even on the regular gas stove burners. As usual, I did some experimenting with the traditional recipe by adding peanuts to give it a crunchy (rather than usual soggy) texture. This is very popular among my friends and I am certain you will enjoy it too. So what are you waiting for…..Go and give it a shot!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• 1 medium sized eggplant (Baingan)
• 2 medium sized onions
• 2 medium sized tomatoes
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 2 small green chills
• 1 small piece of ginger
• 4-5 table spoon- cooking oil
• 1 tea spoon- turmeric
• 1 table spoon- coriander powder
• 1 tea spoon- red chili powder
• 1 tea spoon- Garam masala (optional)
• Salt as per taste
• 1 cup- Peanut (Moongfali)

Method:
Baking/ Roasting:

• Make a hole on the top of the Baigan (as shown in the first picture above).
• Fill 4-5 garlic cloves in the hole and reseal it.
• Grease the baingan with little oil.
• Place the baingan in the oven @ 475 degree Fahrenheit for 30-45 mins or over the flame (whichever available)
• Let it cool down for 5-10 minutes.
• After cooling remove the skin and mash it finely. Now Keep it aside for later use.

Preparation of Masala:

• Grind onion, garlic, ginger and green chilis all together to make a paste.
• Now take tomatoes in a grinder separately and make a purée, keep both of them aside.
• Heat oil in a pan to shallow fry peanuts.
• After cooling, grind fried peanuts into a coarsed powder. Keep it for garnishing.
• Add the paste (onion, garlic, ginger and green chili) into the remaining oil in the pan used earlier and sauté till they turn golden brown.
• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and salt. Mix well.
• Add tomato purée, mix and cook until the oil starts separating from gravy.

Putting it altogether:

• Mix the mashed baingan (eggplant) into the gravy. Stir well.
• Cover the pan with a lid and let the mixture cook for 10-15 mins on a low heat. This way, mashed baingan absorbs all the flavors of masala.
• Take out in a serving bowl, garnish with coarsed groundnuts and fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve hot as a side dish.

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