Baingan Bharta, Brinjal Bharta Recipe, Smoked Eggplant Curry

The first time I had Baingan Bharta was after marriage. I had this for the first time in a very cozy restaurant in Santana Row, CA called Amber. The smokiness of the eggplants combined with the flavor of butter and the masala’s was something so comforting that I could never forget. Food is nothing but memories. Ain’t it? . Ever since that smoky encounter with the eggplants, I make it all the time at home. Here is how to do Baingan Bharta, my style.

Here is the video of how to make Baingan Bharta

Use one big Eggplant for this recipe. I have used two today as the eggplants I had were really small in size. We will need about 300-350 grams of baingan /eggplant in total. Here is how to smoke the eggplant. Stove Top: Pierce some holes on the eggplant in 3-4 places with a knife. Place the eggplant on fire and roast the eggplant for 3-4 minutes turning the eggplant frequently with tongs. Char the Eggplant well. Don’t be afraid to bring the black guy out! Let him enjoy his time on fire. Oven Method: Alternatively, you can bake the eggplant on a 200C / 400F oven for 20 minutes. ( Halve the eggplant and apply a teaspoon of oil on the eggplant before roasting in the oven. )

Note: If you don’t like the strong smoky charred flavor, use the oven method.

Once the skin is blackened, remove the eggplant and place it in a bowl and cover the bowl with a cling wrap or a lid that fits tight. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. The eggplants would still steam inside the bowl.

After 10 minutes, the skin should peel off easily. Do not wash the eggplant while removing the skin. Many people wash it off. But I don’t prefer that method even though its the easiest. By washing, you will be losing the smoky flavor you worked hard to develop. Chop the peeled eggplant. Set aside.

Now lets roast the garlic. The flavor of roasted garlic in baingan bharta can’t be beat. Place 10-12 cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt on an aluminium foil. (Double the foil to make a thick covering). Make a pocket and place the pocket on fire for 2 minutes. Make sure to seal the pockets well so it does not smoke. ( The oil inside will smoke if the pockets leak. )

After 2 minutes, the garlic will be well roasted. Chop the garlic and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the cumin seeds and finely chopped onions. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions in browning fast. Once the onions are nicely brown, add in the tomatoes and the chopped garlic. Add in the red chilli powder, garam masala and the coriander powder. Fry till the tomatoes are cooked and almost dry.

Add in the eggplant and fry for a couple of minutes. Switch off the flame and mix in the ghee. Ghee and baingan / eggplant are best friends. The little addition of ghee at last makes the bharta taste heavenly. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve Baingan Bharta with roti / chapati.

For Roasting

• 1 big eggplant / brinjal (about 300 - 350 grams)
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon vegetable / canola / sunflower oil
• a pinch of salt

Other Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoon vegetable / canola / sunflower oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves
• 2 teaspoon ghee

1. Pierce some holes on the eggplant in 3-4 places with a knife. Place the eggplant on fire and roast the eggplant. Char the Eggplant till its black. Once the skin is blackened, remove the eggplant and place it in a bowl and cover the bowl with a cling wrap or a lid that fits tight. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the skin should peel off easily. Roughly Chop and set aside.
2. Place 10-12 cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt on an aluminium foil. After 2 minutes, the garlic will be well roasted. Chop the garlic and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the cumin seeds and finely chopped onions. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions in browning fast. Once the onions are nicely brown, add in the tomatoes and the chopped garlic. Add in the red chilli powder, garam masala and the coriander powder. Fry till the tomatoes are cooked and almost dry.
4. Add in the eggplant and fry for a couple of minutes. Switch off the flame, mix in the ghee and garnish with coriander leaves.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: North Indian

For Roasting

• 1 big eggplant / brinjal (about 300 - 350 grams)
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon vegetable / canola / sunflower oil
• a pinch of salt

Other Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoon vegetable / canola / sunflower oil
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves
• 2 teaspoon ghee

1. Pierce some holes on the eggplant in 3-4 places with a knife. Place the eggplant on fire and roast the eggplant. Char the Eggplant till its black. Once the skin is blackened, remove the eggplant and place it in a bowl and cover the bowl with a cling wrap or a lid that fits tight. Leave it aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, the skin should peel off easily. Roughly Chop and set aside.
2. Place 10-12 cloves of garlic with a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt on an aluminium foil. After 2 minutes, the garlic will be well roasted. Chop the garlic and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the cumin seeds and finely chopped onions. Add in the salt. The salt will help the onions in browning fast. Once the onions are nicely brown, add in the tomatoes and the chopped garlic. Add in the red chilli powder, garam masala and the coriander powder. Fry till the tomatoes are cooked and almost dry.
4. Add in the eggplant and fry for a couple of minutes. Switch off the flame, mix in the ghee and garnish with coriander leaves.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: North Indian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/baingan-bharta-restaurant-baingan-bharta/

Neikarapatti is a small town near Palani. My uncle’s wife is from Neikarapatti and I have shared my Neikarapatti stories before on the Kola Urundai post. Their recipes are so unique and delicious. The Southern Kongunad ( Pollachi, Udumalpet and Palani belt) has recipes that one cannot find anywhere else. This is Suganthi Akka’s recipe. She is an excellent cook. This is her family recipe. Here is how to do thayir kurma.

First we will need to make a masala paste. Take a pan and add in the oil. Let the oil heat up a bit. Add in the clove, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Add just very little as we want the flavour of the spices to be very subtle. Add in the fennel seeds and dried red chillies. Fry for a few seconds. Add in the chopped small onions (Indian Shallots), chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies. Add in the salt. Fry till the onions are soft. Once the onions are soft, add in the cashew nuts, poppy seeds and fried gram (pottu kadalai). Fry for a minute.

Add in the shredded coconut and coriander powder. Fry for a minute and remove from heat. Let the mixture cool a bit.

Grind the mixture with a cup of water to a very fine paste. Set aside.

Next, we need to boil the veggies. Boil the veggies with half a cup of water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and immediately remove the whistle weight manually to release pressure and to avoid the veggies from over cooking. Set aside. Alternatively, you can steam the veggies until they are fork tender. Set aside.

Take a pan and add in a teaspoon of oil. Add in the chopped onions and fry till the onions are soft. Add in the boiled veggies along with the water used for boiling if any. Add in the ground masala. Add in half a cup of water to dilute the kurma a bit. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add in 1 cup of beaten yogurt (half a cup of plain yogurt / curd beaten with half a cup of water) and simmer for just a minute. Do not simmer for long after adding the yogurt. The yogurt has a tendency to curdle if boiled for too long. Switch off the heat and add in the lime juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati or idiyappam .

For the Masala Paste

• 2 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 clove
• 1 cardamom
• 1/2 inch stick of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 10 small onions (Indian Shallots), chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 10 cashewnut
• 2 teaspoon khus khus (white poppy seeds)
• 2 tablespoon fried gram (pottu kadalai)
• 1/2 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 2 teaspoon coriander powder

Veggies

• 2 Potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 Carrot, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• 5 - 6 beans, chopped

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup plain curd / yogurt
• Juice of a small lime
• 3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped

For the Masala Paste

1. Take a pan and add in the oil. Let the oil heat up a bit. Add in the clove, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Add just very little as we want the flavour of the spices to be very subtle. Add in the fennel seeds and dried red chillies. Fry for a few seconds. Add in the chopped small onions ( Indian Shallots ), chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies. Add in the salt. Fry till the onions are soft.
2. Once the onions are soft, add in the cashewnuts, poppy seeds and fried gram (pottu kadalai). Fry for a minute. Add in the shredded coconut and coriander powder. Fry for a minute and remove from heat.
3. Let the mixture cool a bit.
4. Grind the mixture with a cup of water to a very fine paste. Set aside.

Veggies

1. Boil the veggies with half a cup of water in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and immediately remove the whistle weight manually to release pressure and to avoid the veggies from over cooking. Set aside. Alternatively, you can steam the veggies until they are fork tender. Set aside.

For Tempering

1. Take a pan and add in a teaspoon of oil. Add in the chopped onions and fry till the onions are soft. Add in the boiled veggies along with the water used for boiling if any. Add in the ground masala. Add in half a cup of water to dilute the kurma a bit. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
2. Add in 1 cup of beaten yogurt (half a cup of plain yogurt / curd beaten with half a cup of water) and simmer for just a minute. Do not simmer for long after adding the yogurt. The yogurt has a tendency to curdle if boiled for too long. Switch off the heat and add in the lime juice. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati or idiyappam

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu