Recipe: Baingan Bharta
Baingan Bharta is popular Punjabi dish made of mashed eggplant cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, spices and tomatoes. It is generally served as the main course for lunch or dinner with some roti, paratha or naan. Traditionally, the eggplant or baingan as it is called in Hindi is grilled over some hot charcoal to give it the characteristic smoky flavour. However, modern kitchens lack charcoal based jiko or sigri (sigdi).
How To Get Smoky Flavoured Baingan Or Eggplant?
If you don’t have to a charcoal stove, jiko or sigri then how do you get the smoky flavour for baingan bharta? Well most cooks or chefs use whatever suits them best. The methods are as following:
- Most popular one is to grill or roast the eggplant over the gas flame of a gas stove.
- Some Western Kitchens don’t have gas stoves like mine in Magog. So I cut the eggplant or brinjal into half, brush with oil and bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 180°C. I usually bake the eggplant with the cut side facing down. Then I flip the eggplant halves over and leave it under the hot grill for 5 minutes. This gives that little bit of charred taste.
- Another method is to put a piece of coal in a small heatproof bowl. Pour a little ghee or oil over it. Lit the coal and immediately put it in the pan with the baingan bharta. Cover the pan and leave it for 10 minutes. The smoke created by the coal will add the smoky flavour to the bharta.
- During summer get the eggplants grilled on your BBQ grill.
Sharing This Recipe With The Following Groups
A- Z Challenge
What is the A- Z Challenge? Well, we’re a Facebook group and every alternate month the participants make a dish with the relevant letter. The group was started in May 2018 by Jolly Makkar who blogs at Jolly Homemade Recipes and Vidya Narayan of Masala Chilli. For January we have to post a recipe using an ingredient that begins with E and I used eggplants.
I could have used other ingredients like eggs, elephant yam but stuck with eggplants for one main reason. Hubby loves baingan bharta, therefore make it at least 2-3 times in a month. Usually serve it with rotis or bajra rotla. When I had to decide a dish for this challenge I made up my mind that this time my baigan bharta recipe should find its way to my blog. So many times, have forgotten to note down the measurements for the recipe and to take photos of the prepared dish. I guess this recipe was waiting for this challenge. I also like to add freshly chopped fenugreek leaves or methi to give it a different taste.
Foodies_ Redoing Old Posts
When I wrote the A-Z Challenge group on 12/01/2019, the photos were not that great. And the write up was not really well structured. So redoing this post with better photos and write up on 14/03/2025.
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Ingredients Required For Baingan Bharta
Eggplant
Eggplant, aubergine, brinjal, baingan, ringad. For bharts which means mashed you need a the big fleshy variety of eggplants. The small ones or long ones will not do. Try and get the Globe/ American or Italian variety as the flesh tends to be meater and on cooking becomes soft. Depending on how big or small the eggplants are, you may need one or two of them. Basically you need around 300-350g of eggplants.
Onion
Use red, white or yellow onion. Peel and chop finely.
Garlic
Need peeled and minced garlic. Also a few whole garlic cloves peeled. I like to insert garlic pieces in the brinjal or eggplant before roasting it. The garlic imparts a lovely flavour.
Ginger
Peel and grate or mince fresh ginger.
Green Chillis
Finely chopped or minced. Add according to your taste.
Tomatoes
Chop the tomatoes finely. Alternately you can use fresh tomato puree if you don’t have fresh tomatoes. If you are going to use the puree then you will need about ½ cup.
Oil
Any oil of your choice. I tend to use sunflower oil often. You can use mustard oil but it does have a strong smell and flavour. Need some oil for brushing the eggplants and some for the bharta or curry.
Ghee
I love the flavour of ghee. For a vegan version omit adding ghee. Instead use more oil.
Fenugreek Seeds
Also known as meth ke dane. I love adding a few fenugreek seeds as I feel that it pairs well with brinjals.
Mustard Seeds
Sarson ke dane, rai. Need some for tempering.
Cumin Seeds
Also known as jeera, jiru. Add some for an earthy flavour.
Asafoetida
Known as hing in Hindi. I love the oniony garlicky flavour that asafoetida imparts to the bharta. Omit for a gluten free bharta.
Garam Masala
Add a bit for enhanced flavour. I like to use Homemade Garam Masala. You can opt to make it at home following my recipe or buy ready made. It is readily available in all Indian Stores, Supermarkets or online.
Red Chilli Powder
Add according to your taste.
Turmeric Powder
Haldi, hardar. Need a little for the bharta.
Salt
Add according to your taste. Use any salt of your choice.
Water
Need to add some normal tap or filtered water as it helps the tomatoes to cook well and the curry does not stick to the pan while simmering.
Fresh Coriander
Wash and chop the coriander or dhaniya finely chopped.
BAIGAN BHARTA | MASHED EGGPLANT CURRY
Ingredients
- 1-2 large eggplant approx.300g
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp chilli paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 cup tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ cup water
- 1 - 1½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped
- extra oil for rubbing on the eggplants
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Wash the eggplant and dry it on a kitchen towel.
- Trim the stem off. Cut the eggplant into half.
- Rub oil all over the eggplant halves.
- Lightly grease a baking tray.
- Put the eggplants on the tray with the cut side facing down.
- Bake the eggplants for 30 minutes or till they become soft.
- Flip the eggplant halves over and let it roast further for 5 minutes under a hot grill. This will slightly char the eggplants.
- The top will roast and become golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven. Let the eggplants cool down a bit.
- Remove the peel and discard. Mash the eggplants lightly.
- Heat oil and ghee in a pan over medium heat.
- Add fenugreek seeds. As they begin to sizzle, add mustard seeds and then the cumin seeds.
- Add asafoetida if using any.
- Add chopped onion and stir fry them till it is soft and cooked. We don't need the onion to become golden brown for this recipe.
- Add garlic and stir fry for a few seconds. The add the chilis and ginger paste. Stir fry for a few seconds.
- Add turmeric, red chilli and garam masala powders. Mix well.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Also add ¼ cup water.
- Cover the pan and let the tomatoes cook till they become soft. In between stir the mixture so that it does not stick to the pan.
- Add the mashed eggplant and mix well. Add remaining ¼ cup water.
- Cover the pan and let the bharta simmer on low heat for 7-10 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with parathas or rotis.
Notes
- Don't use eggplants that have too many seeds. They tend to taste more bitter.
- To get the authentic smoky flavor, put a coal piece in a small steel bowl. Pour a little ghee over it and light it. Place the smoking coal with the bowl on the curry. Shut the pan with the lid and leave it for 10 minutes. Remove the coal and bowl just before serving.
- Adjust spices according to your liking.
- Add some finely chopped fenugreek or kasuri methi if you like.
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If you do try this recipe then please either
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