Baingan Bharta Recipe | Punjabi stlye Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is a classic Punjabi dish where the eggplant is cooked by roasting it on open fire which gives the smoky flavor and then  it is mashed and spiced up with various spices and onion.Baingan Bharta tastes best with minimal spices and I really like to eat it bit spicy.I add a handful of green peas sometimes just to give the volume to the curry, so it is entirely optional and can avoid it.This curry is more popular curry in dhabas because of the smokyness of the dish which is done by dhungar method,I have mentioned about it in my notes section in case if you are keen to try it and have access to the charcoal.On the contrary few do not like the smoky flavor, for ex- my dad, he does not like the smoky flavor in anything and also does not eat this sabzi when it is made.

In Andhra, we prepare 'Kalchina Vankaya Pacchadi' where the brinjal is roasted on open flame and is combined with various ingredients to prepare pacchadi(chutney) which goes with rice.There is another version of Bharta known as 'Choka' where we add raw and fresh ingredients and spices to the  mashed up roasted eggplant pulp which tastes good in its own way.

Whenever I pick up large eggplants I always pick atleast two of them so that I can prepare this Bainga Bharta and Bengali Begun Bhaja, both are favorite at my place.I have blogged already various brinjal recipes in my blog.

Check out other tasty preparations with Eggplants:

• Eggplant Pakora with Chili Garlic Stuffing
• Rava Vangibath, Vangi Poha, Vangibath
• Brinjal-Soya Chunks Curry, Brinjal Stir fry-with Curry powder
• Bagara Baingan, Bharli Vangi, Kashmiri Dahi Baingan
• Vankaya Kobbari Karam, Vankaya Kothimeera Karam, Vankaya Ullipaya Karam
• Brinjal Sambar, Raw Mango-Brinjal Dal
• Eggplant Pasta

Baingan Bharta Recipe:

Serves 2 | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 40 mins

Cuisine: Punjabi | Category: Side Dish(Curry)

Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant/Aubergine(Bharta wala Baingan)

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 large Tomato, finely chopped

a handful of fresh/frozen Green Peas, optional

2 Green chilies, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

2 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

3/4 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Garam masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Wash and wipe the large eggplant and apply oil all over the skin and poke it with a fork and place it on a open flame over medium heat. You can make a big slit and include a couple of garlic cloves, it gives a nice flavor to the bharta later. Keep rotating it in between in all directions until the whole eggplant is evenly roasted. Check it for doneness by inserting a knife, if it slides easily which indicates that it is done.Also the eggplant would have become soggy. Put it in a bowl of water immediately and leave it for 10 mins.

• Peel out the charred skin of the eggplant and also the stalk and mash it roughly with a masher. You can even chop it finely or run it in mixie in a whipper mode once.

• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle cumin seeds and add finely chopped green chilies and onions and fry nicely until they turn pink.
• Add ginger-garlic paste to it and fry nicely until the onions become brown.If you are adding green peas add at this stage and fry nicely.

• Add chopped tomatoes to it and fry until the tomatoes become mushy and the whole mixture leaves the oil at the edges.
• Add the spices - red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, salt and fry for another couple of minutes.

• Lastly add the mashed baingan pulp and mix it nicely and cook for 5-6 mins until it is well cooked and the flavors incorporate in the bharta. Switch off the flame.

Add coriander leaves and mix.

Serve it hot with Rotis/Phulkas/Parathas/Naans.

Notes:

1. You can also give Dhungar(smoke technique) to the baingan bharta. For that heat a charcoal on open flame until it is red and hot and place it in a small plate and add few drops of oil and place this plate on the prepared bharta and cover it immediately with a tight lid and leave it for a minute or two. This gives a nice smoky flavor to the bharta like how we get it in the dhabas.
2. Add minimal spices to the baingan bharta, it tastes best. Also you need to fry the masala nicely which gives a nice taste to the bharta.
3. I usually add green peas when a baingan is small just to get more quantity.You can completely avoid it.
4. Instead of Ginger-Garlic paste you can just add finely chopped garlic which is good too.

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