Eggplant Bharta
Indian Roasted Banigan Ka Bharta
Baingan ka bharta is an amazing dish, with the rich roasted flavor of Baingan or eggplant. Traditionally Bharta is made by roasting the eggplant and then taking off the burnt skin and mashing the pulp, then pulp is cooked with onion, tomatoes, yogurt and a simple combination of spices and herbs. Roasting the eggplant gives a distinctive flavor and taste to the dish.
In Hindi language Bharta” implies to anything that is mashed and Eggplant is called Baigan or Begun which means'be'-no, 'gun' - quality/caliber (Eggplant has no quality) but Contrary to popular belief, this oval shaped deeply purple, glossy vegetable is loaded with vitamins and mineral.
There are many varieties of this delicious beautiful food, ranging in color from rich purple, light purple to white, in length from 2 to 12 inches and in shape from oblong to round. Eggplant is very popular in India and it is cooked in many ways to create mouthwatering delicacies. Baingan ka bharta is one of the most popular dishes. It is not only loved all over Punjab but liked all over North India.
In Hindi language Bharta” implies to anything that is mashed and Eggplant is called Baigan or Begun which means'be'-no, 'gun' - quality/caliber (Eggplant has no quality) but Contrary to popular belief, this oval shaped deeply purple, glossy vegetable is loaded with vitamins and mineral.
There are many varieties of this delicious beautiful food, ranging in color from rich purple, light purple to white, in length from 2 to 12 inches and in shape from oblong to round. Eggplant is very popular in India and it is cooked in many ways to create mouthwatering delicacies. Baingan ka bharta is one of the most popular dishes. It is not only loved all over Punjab but liked all over North India.
Ingredients:
2 Medium oval shape Eggplants
1 Medium size onion – fine chopped
1 Medium green Chile – fine chopped
1 Medium size ripe tomato- chopped
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon red chili powder
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder 1 Pinch of asafetida (Hing) or to your taste 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste
2 Tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
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2 Medium oval shape Eggplants
1 Medium size onion – fine chopped
1 Medium green Chile – fine chopped
1 Medium size ripe tomato- chopped
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
2 Teaspoon Coriander powder
½ Teaspoon red chili powder
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder 1 Pinch of asafetida (Hing) or to your taste 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon salt or to your taste
2 Tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
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Baingans (Eggplants)
Chopped onions
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Chopped tomatoes
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Chopped Green chili
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Chopped coriander leaves
Cumin seeds
Turmeric powder
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Red chili powder
Hing (Asafetida)
Oil
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Salt
Coriander powder
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Directions:
Baingan Ka Bharta requires that the Eggplant be roasted. Roasting the eggplant until the skin chard and then taking off the burnt skin and mashing the pulp then cook in spicy masala gives Bharta a distinct unique aroma. Roasting the eggplant can be done in several different ways (see below). In this recipe we are roasting it in the oven.
Baingan Ka Bharta requires that the Eggplant be roasted. Roasting the eggplant until the skin chard and then taking off the burnt skin and mashing the pulp then cook in spicy masala gives Bharta a distinct unique aroma. Roasting the eggplant can be done in several different ways (see below). In this recipe we are roasting it in the oven.
1. Chop Onion, Tomato and green chili.
2. Rinse the Eggplants under running water.
3. Pat dry the Eggplants with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
2. Rinse the Eggplants under running water.
3. Pat dry the Eggplants with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
Wash the Eggplants
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Wipe dry Eggplants
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4. Rub oil all over Eggplants.
5. With a fork or a knife pierce Eggplants a few times to vent.
5. With a fork or a knife pierce Eggplants a few times to vent.
Rub oil all over Eggplants
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With a fork pierce the Eggplants
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6. Place the greased Eggplants in the baking tray.
7. Turn the oven on 350 degree.
8. Place the Eggplants directly on the middle of the rack and bake 30 to 35
minutes, giving a quarter turn every 5-7 minutes. Bake Eggplants until they
become soft from inside and skin looks charred from outside.
7. Turn the oven on 350 degree.
8. Place the Eggplants directly on the middle of the rack and bake 30 to 35
minutes, giving a quarter turn every 5-7 minutes. Bake Eggplants until they
become soft from inside and skin looks charred from outside.
Place Eggplants in a tray
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Place the tray in the oven
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9. To test it, if the Eggplant is cooked take a knife and poke it in to the Eggplant,
if knife goes in the Eggplant smoothly that means it is done, take the Eggplants
out from the oven and let it cool down.
if knife goes in the Eggplant smoothly that means it is done, take the Eggplants
out from the oven and let it cool down.
With a knife poke Eggplant to check
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Eggplants are roasted
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10.Take the tray out of the oven. Once Eggplants cool down with a knife make a
vertical slit in the skins of the Eggplants then use a spoon to scoop out all the
pulp and discard the skin.
vertical slit in the skins of the Eggplants then use a spoon to scoop out all the
pulp and discard the skin.
With a knife make a vertical slit
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Scoop the pulp out of the Eggplants
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11. With a fork or a spoon mash the Eggplant pulp. Baking the whole Eggplant
produces a soft flesh that is easy to mash.
produces a soft flesh that is easy to mash.
Eggplant pulp
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With a fork mash the pulp
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12. On medium high heat add 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick frying pan or heavy
bottomed stainless- steel pan.
13. Add cumin seeds and asafetida and fry.
bottomed stainless- steel pan.
13. Add cumin seeds and asafetida and fry.
In a pan add oil and heat
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Add cumin seeds & Asafetida & fry
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14. Add chopped onion and sauté them on medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes
or until they become light brown.
or until they become light brown.
Cumin seeds & asafetida are fried
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Add chopped Onions
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Mix onions with fried cumin seeds & asafetida
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Onions become light brown
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15. Add coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and mix them with
fried onions and fry them for few seconds.
fried onions and fry them for few seconds.
Add coriander powder, turmeric powder
And red chili powder
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Mix spices with onions & fry
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16. Add chopped tomatoes and mix with fried onions.
Add chopped Tomatoes
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Mix tomatoes with spices & onion
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17. With a spatula try to mash the Tomatoes so that they become soft quickly.
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until tomatoes become soft and blend with onions.
Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until tomatoes become soft and blend with onions.
With a spatula mash the tomatoes
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Onion masala is ready
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18. Tomatoes are blended with onions, now add mashed Eggplant pulp.
19. Add salt.
19. Add salt.
Add Eggplant pulp
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Add salt
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20. Mix Eggplant pulp with onion masala and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on
medium heat, periodically keep stirring and turning Eggplant pulp upside
down so that Eggplant pulp cook evenly.
medium heat, periodically keep stirring and turning Eggplant pulp upside
down so that Eggplant pulp cook evenly.
Mix pulp with onion masala
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Let the Eggplant pulp cook
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21. Once all the extra water evaporates do a taste test to see if it needs more
seasoning and adjust accordingly.
22.Add chopped green chilies and mix.
23. Eggplant Bharta should not be too watery it should have thick consistency.
seasoning and adjust accordingly.
22.Add chopped green chilies and mix.
23. Eggplant Bharta should not be too watery it should have thick consistency.
Add chopped green chilies
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Mix green chilies with bharta
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24. Once Bharta is cooked sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and mix. Turn the
stove off.
25. Transfer Bharta in a bowl.
stove off.
25. Transfer Bharta in a bowl.
Bharta is cooked
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Sprinkle coriander leaves & mix
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Bharta is ready
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Transfer Bharta in a bowl
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Banigan ka Bharta
Tips:
1. Sometimes after roasting the Eggplant you notice that it not cooked completely, some parts were half cooked. Don’t panic just chop the baingan , both cooked and uncooked parts and mush as much as you can then add it to onion tomato masala mix and cover the pan and cook until uncooked part gets cooked.
2. Getting the right eggplant is very important. Choose the ones with shiny, firm, and glossy skin. There shouldn’t be any marks or dents on it should be light in weight. A heavy Eggplant indicates that there are ripe seeds in it and this may spoil the taste of the Bharta
1. Sometimes after roasting the Eggplant you notice that it not cooked completely, some parts were half cooked. Don’t panic just chop the baingan , both cooked and uncooked parts and mush as much as you can then add it to onion tomato masala mix and cover the pan and cook until uncooked part gets cooked.
2. Getting the right eggplant is very important. Choose the ones with shiny, firm, and glossy skin. There shouldn’t be any marks or dents on it should be light in weight. A heavy Eggplant indicates that there are ripe seeds in it and this may spoil the taste of the Bharta
Directions to roast eggplant on the flame of a gas stove or on the barbecue grill:
Baingan Ka Bharta requires that the eggplant be roasted. This can be done in several different ways:
Roasting on the gas stove:
1. On the gas stove first remove the grate and line the burner with Aluminum foil
so that burner does not spoil. Place the grate back and turn the flame on
medium high.
2. Lay the eggplant directly on the gas range grate and keep the flame to medium.
3. Allow Eggplant to roast over the flame for 20 to 30 minutes. keep turning
Eggplant either by holding the stem or by pair of kitchen tongs.
4. The larger the Eggplant, the longer it will take to roast. Smaller Eggplant will
roast faster.
5. When Eggplant is tender, charred and collapsing, remove from the gas range.
6. When finished roasting take the eggplant off the stove and place it on a plate
and let it cool down.
7. Immediately take the foil out from the stove and clean the juices.
8. Once eggplant cool down peel off the charred skin. With the spoon scoop out
the pulp and mash it.
Baingan Ka Bharta requires that the eggplant be roasted. This can be done in several different ways:
Roasting on the gas stove:
1. On the gas stove first remove the grate and line the burner with Aluminum foil
so that burner does not spoil. Place the grate back and turn the flame on
medium high.
2. Lay the eggplant directly on the gas range grate and keep the flame to medium.
3. Allow Eggplant to roast over the flame for 20 to 30 minutes. keep turning
Eggplant either by holding the stem or by pair of kitchen tongs.
4. The larger the Eggplant, the longer it will take to roast. Smaller Eggplant will
roast faster.
5. When Eggplant is tender, charred and collapsing, remove from the gas range.
6. When finished roasting take the eggplant off the stove and place it on a plate
and let it cool down.
7. Immediately take the foil out from the stove and clean the juices.
8. Once eggplant cool down peel off the charred skin. With the spoon scoop out
the pulp and mash it.
Line the burner with Foil
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Place Eggplant on top of Gas range grate
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Keep turning the Eggplant
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Eggplant is roasted
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Roasting on the barbecue grill:
Lay the eggplants over the barbecue grill, turning occasionally until they are charred from outside and tender from inside.
Lay the eggplants over the barbecue grill, turning occasionally until they are charred from outside and tender from inside.
Lay Eggplants over the grill
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Eggplants are roasted on the grill
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Cooking in the pressure cooker or a sauce pan:
1. If you do not like the smoked flavor eggplant bharta, then peel the eggplant
and cut it into small pieces. In a pressure cooker or a sauce pan add the
eggplant pieces and 2 cups of water and boil it until the eggplant become
tender, then follow the above recipe.
1. If you do not like the smoked flavor eggplant bharta, then peel the eggplant
and cut it into small pieces. In a pressure cooker or a sauce pan add the
eggplant pieces and 2 cups of water and boil it until the eggplant become
tender, then follow the above recipe.
Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.
Thank you
Geeta Seth
Other recipes:
Stuffed eggplants Cauliflower ki bhurji (Gobi)
Karela stuffed with masala Sarson ka saag
Aloo tamater (Potatoes with tomatoes) Pumpkin ki curry (Kaddu)
Pyaz ki aloo (Potatoes with onions) Arbi with gravy (Taro roots)
Stuffed eggplants Cauliflower ki bhurji (Gobi)
Karela stuffed with masala Sarson ka saag
Aloo tamater (Potatoes with tomatoes) Pumpkin ki curry (Kaddu)
Pyaz ki aloo (Potatoes with onions) Arbi with gravy (Taro roots)
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