Dinner

Baingan Bharta

Name: Baingan Bharta
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 large aubergine, for roasting, then peeled and finely chopped or mashed; ½ cup onion, finely chopped; 1 cup tomatoes, chopped; 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 green chilli, chopped; ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder; 1.5 tablespoon oil; 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves, chopped; salt, as required; water, for rinsing and cooling, as needed

A smoky Indian aubergine mash cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, green chilli, and aromatic spices.

40 min
180 kcal
Vegetarian
Indian

Mellowpan tip: Every timed step gets its own timer in cook mode.

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Ingredients

For 3 servings

Steps

Step 1:
Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water and pat it dry with a kitchen napkin.
Step 2:
Apply some oil all over the aubergine.
Step 3:
Roast the aubergine over an open flame; grilling or oven roasting can be used instead, though it will not give the same smoky flavour.
Step 4:
Turn the eggplant every 2 to 3 minutes on the flame so it cooks evenly.
2–3 min
Step 5:
Optionally, embed some garlic cloves in the baingan before roasting it.
Step 6:
Roast the aubergine until completely cooked and tender.
Step 7:
Check doneness with a knife; it should slide easily into the aubergine without resistance.
Step 8:
Remove the baingan and immerse it in a bowl of water until cool enough to handle.
Step 9:
Optionally, use the dhungar technique to infuse charcoal smokiness into the baingan.
Step 10:
For dhungar, heat a small piece of natural charcoal over a flame until smoking hot and red.
Step 11:
Make small cuts in the baingan with a knife.
Step 12:
Place the red-hot charcoal on the same plate as the roasted aubergine and add a few drops of oil to the charcoal.
Step 13:
As soon as the charcoal begins to smoke, tightly cover the entire plate with a large bowl.
Step 14:
Allow the smoke to infuse for 1 to 2 minutes; longer infusion will make the bharta smokier.
1–2 min
Step 15:
Alternatively, use the dhungar method after the baingan bharta has been cooked.
Step 16:
Peel the skin from the roasted and smoked eggplant.
Step 17:
Finely chop the cooked eggplant, or mash it.
Step 18:
Heat the oil in a kadai or pan.
Step 19:
Add the finely chopped onions and garlic.
Step 20:
Sauté the onions until translucent without browning them.
Step 21:
Add the chopped green chilli and sauté for 1 minute.
1 min
Step 22:
Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
Step 23:
Sauté the tomatoes until the oil starts separating from the mixture.
Step 24:
Add the red chilli powder, then stir and mix well.
Step 25:
Add the chopped cooked baingan and mix it very well with the onion-tomato masala.
Step 26:
Season with salt, then stir and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes more.
4–5 min
Step 27:
Stir in the coriander leaves or use them as a garnish.
Step 28:
Serve Baingan Bharta with phulkas, rotis, chapatis, bread, toasted or grilled bread, plain rice, or jeera rice.