This fragrant Indian curry features roasted eggplant and can be served with naan or basmati rice.
My husband and I enjoy going to Indian restaurants since they feature a variety of flavorful vegetarian dishes, including chana masala and baingan bharta. Unfortunately, the unpleasant side effect to eating out is a few unwanted bloated pounds for a few days while my body recovers. Of course it’s a result of eating way more salt than I’m used to, as well as oil cooked into the dishes that make them particularly delicious.
So, I continue to recreate some of the less complex and intimidating dishes at home. I found an authentic Baingan Bharta recipe at Cook with Minali, which gets its smoky roasted eggplant flavor from roasting the eggplant over an open flame. I’ve adapted this recipe to the stove, added a few more Indian spices for depth, and removed the oil and salt. There’s more than enough flavor that you won’t even miss it. Trust me.
Please let me know if you try this Baingan Bharta recipe. I’d love to hear from you. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 firm eggplants
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½-1 tsp kashmiri chile powder (add more or less to taste)
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp asafetida (hing) ground (optional)
- 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
- ½ – 1 cup water
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse off the eggplant and remove the ends. Cut lengthwise into quarters.
- Roast in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Turn when dark, but don’t let it burn. About 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat when the skin is dark and the eggplant is very soft and starts to bubble.
- Place roasted eggplant in a heat-safe dish and allow it to cool enough to handle.
- Remove the outside peel from each eggplant segment and chop well. Set aside.
- Using the same skillet, sauté onion and mustard seed until translucent over low to medium heat, about 5 minutes.
- Add all of the spices and cook 2-3 minutes, or until golden.
- Add the eggplant, tomatoes, cilantro, and ½ cup water. Add more water if you prefer more “sauce”.
- Sauté 5 more minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked.
- Remove from heat.
- Serve over rice and top with additional cilantro, if desired.
Notes
Kashmiri chile powder adds heat to the dish. I like using ½ teaspoon for a milder curry. If you like yours spicier, simply add more Kashmiri chile powder.
You can roast the eggplant in the oven, over the flame on a grill, or on the stove in a pan.
The skins come off easily after you allow the eggplant to cool. Start at one end and gently separate the peel from the eggplant.
If your eggplant sticks, lower your heat. The slight blackening on the pan will come off when you add the onions, tomatoes, and water. This process adds color and flavor.
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Baingan Bharta
Equipment
- stove
Ingredients
- 3 eggplants
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½-1 tsp kashmiri chile powder to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp asafetida hing ground (optional)
- 4 roma tomatoes chopped
- ½ – 1 cup water
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Rinse off the eggplant and remove the ends. Cut lengthwise into quarters.
- Roast in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Turn when dark, but don’t let it burn. About 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat when the skin is dark and the eggplant is very soft and starts to bubble.
- Place roasted eggplant in a heat-safe dish and allow it to cool enough to handle.
- Remove the outside peel from each eggplant segment and chop well. Set aside.
- Using the same skillet, sauté onion and mustard seed until translucent over low to medium heat, about 5 minutes.
- Add all of the spices and cook 2-3 minutes, or until golden.
- Add the eggplant, tomatoes, cilantro, and ½ cup water. Add more water if you prefer more “sauce”.
- Sauté 5 more minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked.
- Remove from heat.
- Serve over rice and top with additional cilantro, if desired.