Baingan Bharta is a South Asian dish bearing a resemblance to baba ghanoush. Baingan bharta is a part of the national cuisines of both India and Pakistan. It is primarily a vegetarian dish that comprises bhartha (minced vegetables) made from Aubergine (baingan / eggplant) which is grilled over charcoal or direct fire, to infuse the dish with a smoky flavour.
Ingredients
- 2 good sized Aubergines
- 4 medium sized onions chopped
- 5 medium sized tomatoes chopped
- 1 bulb garlic (crush or grind to a coarse paste. Solid pieces may remain)
- 1 inch piece of ginger (crushed )
- 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 3 green chillies chopped (deseeded if required to reduce heat )
- a small bunch of fresh Corriander leaves (Cilantro) chopped
- salt to taste
- 3 tablespoon oil (veg, olive, ghee)
- 1 teaspoon corriander powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
Steps
1. Coat the Aubergines with olive oil and put them in conventional oven on top temperature for about 20 minutes. If you have gas stove then roast directly on fire till the Aubergines become extremely mushy. At this stage the skin easily peels off. See image below. Leave them cooking while we prepare the masala (Bharta)
2. Heat oil in a good sized pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds an fry for few seconds till they start getting slightly dark (take care to not fry for long as they burn quickly)
3. Add chopped onions and fry till the onions become very soft (about 10-15 minutes stirring). Add some salt to release moisture and speed up cooking.
Add crushed garlic and ginger (cook for another 5 minutes)
4. Add chopped tomatoes, chillies, corriander powder, salt to taste, garam masala and stir fry for 5 minutes
5. Once the tomatoes start getting soft, cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure they dont stick to bottom.
6. Chop the peeled aubergines (they should be very soft and gooey) and add to the pot. stir for few minutes and cover and cook on low heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Add chopped corriander leaves and stir slowly for another 2 minutes. Taste for salt and add more if required. Serve hot with Paratha or chappati (Roti)
