Baingan Bharta Recipe

Urvashee Patel | Dessarts

Baingan Bharta pairs beautifully with naan or another kind of flatbread. A classic Indian dish you must try!

Baingan Bharta Photo

Baingan bharta is a popular Punjabi dish cooked by roasting an eggplant, mashing it, and mixing it into a tasty tomato onion based gravy. It is by far one of my favorite things to order at an Indian restaurant. Even though I had Indian food almost every day growing up, I had not tasted baigan bharta until I was an adult. I can’t believe what I had been missing!

This style of cooking eggplant, looked, tasted, and smelled completely different from what I had seen before even though it used some of the same spices. Growing up, eggplant was probably on the dinner table at least once a week. Eggplant cooked with potatoes and spices is very common in a Gujarati household.

I think I tried it once, and never touched it again. My mom was forced to make two vegetable dishes every time she decided to cook eggplant. I could not stand eggplant cooked in the Gujarati style. 

Baingan Bharta Picture

Of course, I’m married to someone who will only eat eggplant in either Gujarati style or as eggplant parmesan. So it’s rare that I order it in a restaurant unless someone else is there to share it with me and it wasn’t until now that I attempted to make baingan bharta at home. As luck would have it, V has decided that he does like it. That’s two against one! I also discovered that it’s really easy to make. That means it’s time to make this dish at home more often!

Classic baingan bharta is made by roasting the eggplant over an open flame. This gives it a really wonderful smoky flavor. I did learn that this technique does make a mess with eggplant juices leaking onto the gas stovetop as the skin chars. If you prefer to avoid this, you can always use the oven as I have done in my recipe. It’s still good but you won’t have that same subtle smoky flavor.

Baingan bharta pairs really well with naan or any other type of flatbread. You can serve it with the main meal over a bed of rice or even use it as a dip

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Baingan Bharta Recipe

    4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large Eggplant
  • 2 tablespoons Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger, Grated
  • 2 Green Chiles, Chopped
  • 1 cup Diced Onion
  • 1 cup Diced Tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
  • Fresh Cilantro

Directions

  1. Brush a small amount of oil over the eggplant and place it on a baking tray. Roast it in the oven on the highest temperature possible until the skin is charred and the flesh is soft.
  2. Let it cool, remove the skin, and roughly chop the eggplant. Set it aside.
  3. In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin and after a few seconds add the garlic paste and ginger paste. Sauté for a few seconds.
  4. Add the green chiles and onions and cook until the onions become soft.
  5. Next add the tomatoes and remaining spices. Salt to taste.
  6. Cover and let the tomatoes cook down for a few minutes until they are completely soft.
  7. Stir in the eggplant mash and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

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Published:
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Cooking Method:
Roasted
Cuisine:
Indian
Category:
Casseroles
Tags:
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Related Recipes:
Vegetarian Recipes, Indian Recipes, Casserole Recipes, Eggplant Recipes, Tomato Recipes, Ginger Recipes, Cumin Recipes, Roasted Recipes, Easy Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes
Recipe Yields:
4 servings
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Related Post:
Published:
Author: Urvashee Patel
Recipe Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 58
Calories 125

% Daily Value*
11%
Total Fat 7g
0%
  Saturated Fat 0g
0%
Sodium 6mg
5%
Total Carbohydrate 14g
6%
  Dietary Fiber 5g
  Sugars 5g
4%
Protein 2g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Urvashee Patel

About Urvashee

Urvashee blogs about delectable desserts on her blog, Dessarts. Lucky for us, she's sharing her delectable vegetarian dishes too as a Vegetarian Fanatic.

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