Baingan Bharta
Ingredients
1 large Aubergine
½ cup Onion
1 cup Tomatoes
6 cloves Garlic
1 Green Chilli
¼ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1.5 tablespoon Oil
1 tablespoon chopped Coriander Leaves
as required salt
Instructions
1- Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water.
2- Pat dry with a kitchen napkin.
3- Apply some oil all over and keep it for roasting on an open flame.
4- You can also grill the baingan or roast in the oven.
5- But then you won't get the smoky flavor of the baingan.
6- Keep the eggplant turning after a 2 to 3 minutes on the flame, so that its evenly cooked.
7- You could also embed some garlic cloves in the baingan and then roast it.
8- 2.
9- Roast the aubergine till its completely cooked and tender.
10- With a knife check the doneness.
11- The knife should slid easily in aubergines without any resistance.
12- Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools down.
13- 3.
14- You can also do the dhungar technique of infusing charcoal smoky flavor in the baingan.
15- This is an optional step.
16- Use natural charcoal for this method.
17- Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes smoking hot and red.
18- 4.
19- Make small cuts on the baingan with a knife.
20- Place the red hot charcoal in the same plate where the roasted aubergine is kept.
21- Add a few drops of oil on the charcoal.
22- The charcoal would begin to smoke.
23- 5.
24- As soon as smoke begins to release from the charcoal, cover the entire plate tightly with a large bowl.
25- Allow the charcoal smoke to get infused for 1 to 2 minutes.
26- The more you do, the more smoky the baingan bharta will become.
27- I just keep for a minute.
28- Alternatively, you can also do this dhungar method once the baingan bharta is cooked, just like the way we do for Dal Tadka.
29- 6.
30- Peel the skin from the roasted and smoked eggplant.
31- 7.
32- Chop the cooked eggplant finely or you can even mash it.
33- 8.
34- In a kadai or pan, heat oil.
35- Then add finely chopped onions and garlic.
36- 9.
37- Saute the onions till translucent.
38- Don't brown them.
39- 10.
40- Add chopped green chilies and saute for a minute.
41- 11.
42- Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well.
43- 12.
44- Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating from the mixture.
45- 13.
46- Now add the red chili powder.
47- Stir and mix well.
48- 14.
49- Add the chopped cooked baingan.
50- 15.
51- Stir and mix the chopped baingan very well with the oniontomato masala mixture.
52- 16.
53- Season with salt.
54- Stir and saute for some more 4 to 5 minutes more.
55- 17.
56- Finally stir in the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta or garnish it with them.
57- Serve Baingan Bharta with phulkas, rotis or chapatis.
58- It goes well even with bread, toasted or grilled bread and plain rice or jeera rice.