Baingan Bharta

Here's my recipe for Baingan Bharta... I came up with it by accidentally using 1 eggplant instead of two in a recipe from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking and realizing that it would have been too mild if I had used 2 eggplants. I also added Kitchen King masala and a teaspoon of sugar, which balanced out the bitterness. A lot of recipes I come across use coriander and cumin powder separately, but I like to make combo coriander/cumin powder at home, grind it myself and use that instead of using the powders separately. I also avoided separating the onions in two batches and frying one in oil... I just added the whole onion to the eggplant and fried it together.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large eggplant, about one pound
  • 3 teaspoons coriander/cumin powder (I like to make my own, It's much better!)
  • 1 teaspoon Kitchen King Masala
  • salt, to taste
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I pureed 2 roma tomatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated gingerroot
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
Method:

Heat coals or broiler for direct heat. Pierce eggplant with fork a few times to vent steam. Grill
15 - 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until skin is blistered.

Place eggplant in a large bowl and cover. Let stand 30 minutes. Peel and discard eggplant skin. Mash until smooth.

Stir in coriander/cumin powder, salt, cayenne, turmeric, onion, tomato sauce, sugar, kitchen king masala, lime juice, gingerroot, garlic, and cilantro.

Heat ghee in large skillet over medium-high heat and sizzle cumin seed until darkened. Add eggplant mixture and fry 15 - 20 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in garam masala, remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

~ "No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how" - Rhett Butler (Gone With The Wind) ~

25 comments:

Vrinda said...

Bharta looks so good,nice color u got there...

chakhlere said...

Wow...this is my fav dish..looks very yummy!!!

I love the addition of Kitchen King masala...its my fav masala...I use it in almost all the curries.

Usha said...

Meeso, Baingan bharta looks rich and delicious...loved its dark glow.

Sushma Mallya said...

looks delicious meeso...would be perfect with paratha...

Priya Suresh said...

Baingan bharta looks fantastic, lovely colour u got Meeso..

Finla said...

So so delcious, i just want to scoop them up and pop into my greegy mouth.

Bergamot said...

fantastic as usual

Valarmathi Sanjeev said...

Baingan bharta looks very yummy....

Dori said...

~ Thanks, everyone :)

Ranjani said...

Your bharta looks great! Quick question: when you broiled your eggplant did it get completely cooked on the inside too? The last time I broiled it for abt 20 minutes but the center wasn't completely cooked..just wondering!

Dori said...

~ Thanks, Ranjani! It did get really soft and smelled all roasted inside after 20 minutes... I made sure to turn it a lot, probably about six times... Mostly I look for the skin to get all wrinkled and blistered and juice will start releasing from the eggplant... then I steam it for another 30 minutes in a covered bowl... All that together does cook the eggplant for me... At least it gets very soft, and I finish cooking in the skillet :)

Anu Nandu said...

YOu impress me always and have done it once again! Bhartha looks wonderful! A perfect side dish for rotis and naans! Love it!

Namitha said...

This is my fav eggplant dish...It looks perfect and yummm :-)

Linda said...

Ahh.. meeso! You're going straight for my heart with the gorgeous baingan *and* sumptous Rhett Butler quote all in one post! Both are a good remedy for chilly winter days :)

Cham said...

Cool, BB is perfect - pretty color!

Kathleen said...

Wow this looks impressive! I can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.

Deepa G Joshi said...

wow..the bharta looks very tempting..excellent color..

Deepa G Joshi said...

wow..the bharta looks very tempting..excellent color..would love to have it with hot rotis..

Unknown said...

Bharta looks so authentic. Yummy!

Gloria Baker said...

Look fantastic Messo! gloria

Sri said...

Pictures say a 1000 words but this one doesnt do justice to how the bharta tasted..It tasted way better..Yum yum yum...Thank you for the awesome Bharta :)

Padhu Sankar said...

Baingan bharta looks yummy! My all time favourite.
http://padhuskitchen.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

An all tim favourite of mine. U have a collection of great recipes here.

Hayley said...

Hey Meeso

first time here..great space..I love the Baigan Bhartha..last year i cooked at least 40 times..

cheers and do visit

http://joyofcoking247.blogspot.com

Mythreyi Dilip said...

Baigan bharta looks so spicy and rich dear. I'm a spicy lover and your recipe tempts me lot. Mmmmmm....