Baingan Bharta is a well known Punjabi dish from the North Indian cooking. It is made with a crush of broiled eggplant, onions, tomatoes, spices and flavors. The eggplants are cooked or barbecued on direct fire over the burner or on super hot charcoal which gives them a smoky flavor and taste. I share an essentially scrumptious family treasure recipe of Eggplant Bharta that isn’t over-burden with flavors so the smoky kinds of the simmered eggplant and tartness of the tomatoes follow through in the dish.
What is Baingan Bharta
Baingan Bharta is a well known North Indian Punjabi dish of smoky pounded eggplants in a sautéed, tart, flavored base of onions, tomatoes, garlic, flavors. The Hindi word Baingan implies eggplant (or aubergine or brinjal) in English and Bharta implies crushed.
You can contrast Baingan Bharta with the Center Eastern dish Baba Ganoush as the strategy for simmering eggplant is something very similar. In any case, the flavors, flavors and so forth utilized are entirely unexpected and remarkable.
There are many regional Indian variations of making Baingan ka Bharta. Not only the spices and herbs vary, but some variations also add boiled/steamed green peas, while a few have curd (yogurt) added. In some variations sometimes the tomatoes are given a miss.
The recipe that I have shared here is the Punjabi version that we make in our home. On occasions I do add some steamed green peas to the Eggplant Bharta.
We simply love this Baingan ka Bharta due to its simplicity and taste. I have learned this authentic Punjabi recipe from my mom-in-law who makes excellent Punjabi food.
How is Eggplant Bharta made
1. Simmering and pounding or cleaving cooked eggplant
To make baingan bharta eggplants are cooked on an immediate fire on a gas burner or on a bed of hot charcoal or in an oven. Later the singed skin is stripped and the aubergines are crushed.
In Punjab, the eggplant is in many cases simmered in the oven. Subsequently, it would get imbued with the unmistakable smoky charcoal fragrance. This is beyond the realm of possibilities these days as we don’t have charcoal-based ovens or charcoal burners in our kitchens.
Cooking on an immediate fire imbues a smoky flavor in the eggplant. You will just get this smoky fragrance and flavor, when the eggplants are fire cooked on a burner and not barbecued or prepared in the stove.
2. Cooking in onion-tomato masala base.
Later the squashed eggplant is added to a sauteed combination of onions, tomatoes, garlic, flavors and cooked further.
Tomatoes give a pleasant tang in this recipe and fits with the pleasantness of the onions and eggplant. Garlic likewise adds a ton of profundity and flavor to this straightforward soothing baingan ka bharta.
I ordinarily make the dish along these lines yet I have additionally tested by adding ground flavors like turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and so on.
One point, I have noticed is that the smoky smell and kind of the eggplant comes out particularly in this basic recipe where less ground flavors are utilized.
Be that as it may, in the event that you like a more bolder variant of baingan bharta, add your number one Indian ground flavors to it.
Step by step instructions to make Baingan Bharta
Broil Eggplant
I share a strategy which I carry out while simmering the brinjal. Utilizing this technique, you can be practically certain of not having any worms in that frame of mind preceding simmering.
Wash the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water. Wipe off with a kitchen napkin. Cut the eggplant from its base up-to an inch away from the stem without splitting it up.
1. The eggplant must be entire when you put it on the burner. So make sure to tenderly cut.
2. Delicately pull separated.
3. Open the cut parts somewhat more and check for worms or any dark spots. Dispose of the eggplant assuming that you see any worms in it.
4. In the event that the eggplant looks spotless and without worms, you can continue further. Alternatively rub a touch of oil on top of it.
Save it for cooking on direct fire on the burner. Keep the fire to medium-low or medium. You could likewise implant a garlic cloves in the eggplant before cooking it.
I put a round metal rack on the burner and put the eggplant on it. You can utilize a metal baking rack however ensure the metal won’t liquefy while cooking.
Note that as the eggplant cooks a portion of the juices and drippings will fall which you can wipe later. I don’t suggest setting or covering the sides of the burner with aluminum foil as they can consume and be risky.
You can likewise barbecue the brinjal or dish it in the broiler. However at that point really do remember that you will not get the smoky flavor in the eggplant
5. With the assistance of utensils, continue to turn the eggplant following 2 to 3 minutes on the fire, so it is equally cooked.
6. Broil the aubergine till it’s totally cooked and delicate. With a blade or fork really look at the doneness. The blade ought to slide effectively in eggplant with next to no opposition.
7. Eliminate the eggplant and drench in a bowl of water till it cools.
8. When cooled, strip the burned skin from the eggplant. You can wash the eggplant in water in the event that you like.
You can likewise scoop the eggplant tissue with a spoon as opposed to stripping the roasted skin.
9. Slash the cooked eggplant. The water that you see are the juices of the simmered eggplant. On the off chance that you see a lot of seeds in the cooked eggplant, eliminate and dispose of them.
Make Baingan ka Bharta
• In a kadai or dish or skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil. You can utilize nut oil or sunflower oil or mustard oil. At times I make the bharta in mustard oil which gives the dish its one of a kind sharp taste.
• Then add finely slashed 1 medium-sized onion (about ½ cup finely cleaved onion). Likewise, add finely hacked 5 to 6 medium garlic cloves (around 1 stored teaspoon of finely slashed garlic).
• Sauté the onions till they mellow and turn clear, blending frequently. Try not to brown them.
• Add 1 hacked green bean stew (about ½ teaspoon of slashed green chillies) and blend. Right now you can add a spot of asafoetida (hing), in the event that you like. Yet, in the event that you follow a without gluten diet, preclude adding the asafoetida.
• Add finely cleaved 2 medium to enormous tomatoes (around 1 cup finely hacked tomatoes). Blend well overall.
Sauté the tomatoes until the oil begins isolating from the combination. You need to continue to mix frequently when sautéing tomatoes.
• The tomatoes need to become mellowed, thick and you ought to see oil setting free from the sides.
• Presently add ¼ teaspoon red stew powder or cayenne. Mix and blend well
• Add the cleaved or pounded eggplant.
Consolidate, mix and blend the pounded eggplant very well with the onion-tomato masala combination. Season with salt according to taste.
• Sauté baingan bharta mixing frequently for around 4 to 5 minutes on low to medium-low intensity.
• The baingan bharta is prepared. At last mix in 1 tablespoon coriander leaves or enhancement with cleaved coriander leaves.
Serving Ideas
Serve baingan ka bharta with phulka or chapati or paratha. It goes well even with bread, toasted or barbecued bread and plain steamed rice or jeera rice.
You can likewise serve it as a side veggie dish with any North Indian feast.
Enjoy 😊
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