Baingan Bharta
This smoky Baingan Bharta is a delicious Indian-style eggplant mash that is great to serve with naan or paratha. It's vegan, gluten-free, and comes together in 30 minutes.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 1 large whole eggplant
- 8-10 whole peeled garlic cloves
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tsp chopped green chili
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp dry mango powder
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup green peas (softened)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
Instructions
- 1
To start making baingan bharta, first, roast the eggplant. Wash it and wipe it with a kitchen towel. Make 8-10 slits in it using a paring knife all over.
- 2
Insert one whole peeled garlic clove in each slit. Roasting the garlic cloves along with the eggplant gives a very delicious flavor to this bharta. So do not skip this step.
- 3
Keep the eggplant on the direct flame and roast from all the sides on medium heat till the skin is blackened and it is soft from inside. Keep rotating it every 2-3 minutes while roasting. It will take 10-12 minutes to roast it properly. To check if it is roasted well, insert a knife in it. The knife should go inside the pulp easily.
- 4
Note – Roasting the eggplant over direct heat gives it a very nice smoky flavor. So I highly recommend roasting it over direct flame. But you can also roast it in an oven, air fryer, or BBQ grill or even steam it in a pressure cooker.
- 5
Remove the roasted eggplant from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the burnt skin by peeling it using your fingers. Chop off the top. Wash the peeled eggplant to remove any trace of charred skin. Cut it into half and remove the seeds. Mash the pulp using your fingers, fork, or a potato masher and keep it aside.
- 6
Heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a pan. A cast iron pan is the best to make this dish.
- 7
Note – If mustard oil is not available, you can cook the bharta in any oil.
- 8
Add 1 cup chopped onion, and 2 tsp chopped green chilies and fry on medium heat till translucent.
- 9
Add 2 tsp grated ginger and cook for another minute.
- 10
Now add 1 cup chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until mushy. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- 11
Add 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp dry mango powder, and salt to taste along with ½ cup of water and fry for a minute.
- 12
Add ¼ cup green peas and eggplant mash and mix well. Cook on high heat for a minute or two. Keep mashing with the back of the ladle.
- 13
Note – If using frozen pea, wash and drain them before adding them to the pan. If using fresh peas, cook them in water until tender, drain and add to the pan.
- 14
Garnish with 2 tbsp chopped coriander and serve hot.