Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Baingan Bharta | Indian Roasted Eggplant

Having been one of those picky eaters as a kid, things as exotic as Eggplant would never ever find its way to my dinner plate - unless it was battered and deep fried - at which point, it could've been anything!




As a picky eater, I really missed out on the wonderful flavors a lot of vegetables offered because I was usually turned off by their texture. And as all Bhartas go, this thing appeared to be a mushy mass of yuck to kids overactive imagination. Ah, what I had been missing.
I tasted my first Baingan Bharta only about 5 years ago - and I absolutely loved the flavors, however,I still had some leftover squirmishness about its texture.

I bought an eggplant on a whim yesterday and resolved to make this recipe. And if I may say so, this dish is the best eggplant dish I've had, in a long time. The roasted eggplant has a nice sweetness to it, I've added fire with green chillies and there is a nice earthy background to it from all the spices.

I can think of many ways to serve this, as a traditional indian meal with naan or parathas, as a dip with home-made pita chips or on top of a crostini.You can pretty nicely swap this out for an eggplant caponata.
I might've intended to make the caponata when I bought the eggplant - I had been thinking about it for a while now. My memory fails me.

This is a relatively easy recipe, except for the roasting time for the eggplant, which can be 45-60 mins.
I used my cast iron pan for making this, and I've heard cast iron can impart a certain flavor to the food. I highly recommend using a cast iron pan if you own one! It seems to contribute to the recipe.




RECIPE
Prep Time :1 hrServes:2 people
Cooking Time :15 mins
INGREDIENTS
>1 Large (Japanese) Eggplant
>1/2 Red or Yellow Onion - chopped
>1 small Plum/Roma Tomato - chopped
>1 Garlic clove
>1/4 tbsp Turmeric Powder
>1/4 tbsp Coriander Powder
>1/4 tbsp Cumin Powder
>1/4 tbsp Garam Masala
>2-3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
>1/2 tbsp Cumin Seeds
>1-2 Green Chillies (optional)
>Cilantro to garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
*Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
*Line a baking sheet with foil, prick the surface of the eggplant with a fork or a knife all over and place it on the sheet
*Roast in the oven for 40-45 mins, checking at 20-25 mins. You are looking for a shriveling eggplant skin and you will smell the cooked eggplant closer to 40 mins
*Alternately, if you are pressed for time, you can roast the eggplant on the gas stove flame, turning every so often until the skin is charred
*Once roasted, let it rest for 5-10 mins before peeling the charred skin off.
*Cut the top off and mash the cooked eggplant meat into a bowl or plate.Set aside
*In a cast iron pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds and turmeric.
*Once the cumin seeds splutter, add onions and garlic immediately after. Add green chillies to the oil, if using
*Let onion soften, 2-3 mins and then add the tomatoes
*Add remaining spices and let the tomatoes cook down. Since the eggplant is already cooked, you wont need much cooking time later
*Once tomatoes and onions are well incorporated, add the mashed eggplant and cook for 3-5 mins, till everything blends well together
*Add salt to taste, squeeze of lemon juice, and garnish with cilantro






22 comments:

  1. Girl! Your pic makes Baingan Bharta look good :)

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  2. I agree with Shefali...not many people can make eggplant look tasty in a picture! This looks delicious.

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  3. Roasted eggplant bhartha sounds so tasty. I agree there is something about roasting em...love it.
    Girl, how similar were we....I hated eggplants growing up too and now I crave for this goodness..well, at least we love it now and you've given me a dinner idea.

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  4. I love the aroma of roasted eggplant. I have always loved eggplant, even as a kid.

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  5. Yay! I have four eggplants that I don't know what to do with. I usually cook them Chinese style but I have been looking for something new. Now I need to pick up these Indian spices, like Garam Masala. My boyfriend is not a fan of the smell, so I'll have to wait until he works late. :)

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  6. Ohhh I have been looking for a good recipe for this! Drool-worthy pics too.

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  7. I could never make baingan bharta look so appetizing. Yum!!

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  8. i used to be just like you when it came to vegetables and now I appreciate them more than ever. Eggplants are always hit and miss for me..I made a curry something similar to this yesterday and it was delicious, of course with naan :)

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  9. Looks so tasty!!! I used to hate eggplant but finally I woke up realized how good it is!!! I love all the spices in this recipe!

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  10. Ooh the best eggplant dish in a long time is a great endorsement!

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  11. One of my fav and this looks scrumptious....

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  12. looks delicious, I'm a huge fan of baingan ka bharta, I use my mom's version, this version looks amazing too.

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  13. I loved eggplants as a child and love them now! This is one of my favourite dishes made with eggplants, this and Baghare baigan. Yummy!

    Nazneen

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  14. I love eggplant! and it's particularly nice roasted. Yours has such tremendous flavor - really nice. Thanks so much.

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  15. My first time at your blog space. The baingan bharta sounds delicious. I started eating it much later in my life but now that I have started, I love it. The first click looks really great :)

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  16. Eggplant is my favorite vegetable! Can eat it anytime and any preparation. This looks yummy!

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  17. Eggplant is my favorite vegetable! Can eat it anytime and any preparation. This looks yummy!

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  18. I love Indian eggplant dishes. I am a huge eggplant fan but the rest of my family are not (husband + 2 kids). I should make this for lunch when they are not home. Sounds like a really fancy lunch just for me. :) Thanks for the recipe!

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  19. How delicious is this recipe! I am totally going to be making this VERY soon! Thank you so much for this idea! :)

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