Baingan bhartha

                                                                            Ready to serve Baingan bhartha

Time taken : 45 minutes

Serves : 4-5

Baingan is nothing but egg plant and also Brinjal  in english needs no introduction at all.  My family loves Brinjal and especially the smoked Baingan bharith as it is out of the world with its pleasant aroma though it is a little laborious and messy to clean up the place and the veggie too!!!  I have already put up Yengai-stuffed egg plant /Brinjal in north karnataka style and is a very popular recipe on this blog.  Here is my version of this recipe….

What you need to have:

1. Brinjal/Egg plant – 2 cups of mashed egg plant                                                                              Egg plant being roasted

Ingredients of seasoning & garnishing:

1. Chopped Tomatoes – 3/4 Cup

2. Chopped onions – 1 and 1/2 Cup

3. Roasted Cumin powder – 3/4 Teaspoon

4. Coriander powder – 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons

5. Garam masala powder – 1/2 Teaspoon(home made)

6. Ginger-garlic paste – 1 Teaspoon

7. Red chili powder – 1 and 1/2 Teaspoon

8. Turmeric powder – 1/4 Teaspoon

9. Sugar – 1/4 Teaspoon(optional)

10. Salt – As needed

11. Cooking oil – 2 Teaspoons

12. Chopped cilantro – A handful(for garnishing)                                                                  Ingredients of Seasoning & Garnishing

What you do with what you have:

1. Wash and chop tomatoes.  Also wash, peal and chop onions too and chop cilantro too.  Prepare the ginger garlic paste too and keep it aside.

2. Wash and pat dry the veggie and prick it all over with a fork.  Apply a little oil all over it  and roast it on the fire directly on your gas stove burner adjusting it every now and then till it is  completely done.                                                                 Egg plant being roasted                                                                                Roasted Egg plant 

3. Allow it to cool completely so that one is able to peal it easily.  Pealed egg plant is as shown in the image below.                                                                         Roasted and pealed Egg plant

4. Place a skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on medium flame.  When heated, add cumin seeds to it and let it splutter.                                            Cumin seeds being added to coking oil to be spluttered

5. Once done, add chopped onions to it along with a little salt and and fry till transparent.  When done, add chopped tomatoes to it and fry till mushy.                                                       Tomatoes being added to the fried onions

6.  When tomatoes turn mushy, add  ginger-garlic paste and fry for a while.                                                                Ginger-garlic paste being added

7. Add all powders in a row and give a strong stir.

7. Finally add roasted,  pealed and mashed egg plant from step-3 to it and give a stir adding a little water as well to it to get the right consistency, checking for salt too and not to forget to add a pinch of sugar.                                                          Mashed and roasted egg plant being added                                                   Dish being adjusted adding water and salt too

8. Add chopped cilantro and transfer it to a serving bowl for a better view of the dish.  Relish with chapati or roti.                                                                        Ready to serve Baingan bhartha

Time taken:45 minutes

Serves:4-5

Good to remember: 1. Use tender and fresh  Egg plant for a better flavour.

2. Adding sugar gives a wonderful taste.

3. Roast it either on gas or on a thick skillet as well.  One can even roast on fire wood too if available.