Baigan ka Bharta

Are you not a eggplant fan? If so you should definitely try this :) I mean it.

This is one of our favorites. One of my close friends mom cooks the best baigan ka bharta. Once when I went to her home at bhopal, I saw her mom making this dish and learnt the recipe from her.

Even today whenever I make the recipe, it makes me nostalgic. It was a cold morning, we just woke up and came out the house for a morning walk, the moment I stepped out I smelled the roasting eggplants. It was so nice to sit next to the fire on a cold morning while it was roasting. It was perfect.

Traditionally the eggplant for this dish is fire roasted/barbecued. But you see I can neither lit the fire nor I have a barbecue station. So I had roast it in the oven. But it can also be done on gas stove top on very low flame. But now using oven makes it easier for me, as I can just put it in and step aside.

Preparation time: 5 mins

Baking / Roasting time - 60 mins

cooking time: 10 mins

Serves - 2 to 3

INGREDIENTS:

• Eggplant - 3 large

• Tomato puree - 2 cups

• Finely chopped onion - 1 cup

• Green chili - 1 (Optional)

• Green peas - 1/2 cup

• Coriander powder - 1 tsp (heap)

• Garlic pods - 4 (sliced)

• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

• salt - to taste

• Oil - 1 tbsp + to apply over eggplant

• Coriander leaves to garnish

DIRECTION:

To cook Eggplant:

Apply oil to the eggplant, prick it with forks around the eggplant. It will help the steam let out. We do not need a burst eggplant in the oven. Turn the oven on, I have a convection option, which heats up faster. So I do not need to preheat before hand.

If not preheat the oven to 450 F 20 mins before cooking. The same temperature for convect roast setting. 450 F for 65 mins or until the skin is tender and smoky flavor comes out of it. Usually it takes 30 mins for 1 eggplant.

You can also cook the eggplant over the gas stove top on a medium flame and just keep rotating it using a skewer or a long handle fork. Once its cooked, peel skin off, cut the root and chop them finely. If necessary you can deseed. The seeds will come off easily

To Make the Gravy:

In a wok / pan heat oil or ghee and then add cumin seeds to it. Then to that add chopped garlic, onion and green chilli. Saute it until the onions become nice pink and translucent. Once the onions are cooked add in the tomato puree, green peas, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder and mix well. Cover it with the lid and cook until all the raw flavors are gone and tomatoes are cooked real nice and sauce like.

Once the base is prepared add in the peeled and chopped eggplant to the gravy and stir well. Now cover it with the lid and let it cook in the medium flame for couple more minutes, until all flavors are combined

Note:

• The skin of the eggplant should be separated from inside. Don't worry if the skin is burnt, inside would have been cooked nicely. Smokier the better. As one tamil saying states “karuppe azhaghu, kaidhale suvai” translates to black is beauty and roasted is flavorful

• You can use little yogurt to the gravy it will be nice, sometimes I use them but traditionally it will not be used.

• Adding just garlic brings out a nice flavor.

Serve hot with ghee smeared phulkas !

Enjoy and Happy cooking !!