Eggplant Curry Baingan Bharta Food

BAINGAN BHARTA (EGGPLANT BHARTA)

Steps:

• Rinse eggplants well under running water and wipe dry with a kitchen tissue. Make 4 slits on the brinjal and push 4 garlic cloves deep inside 2 slits. Also push 2 slit green chilies in the other 2 slits. Brush them with oil.
• On Direct Fire: With the help of a tong, place it on direct fire. You can do it either on the red hot coal or stovetop. Keep turning it to all the other sides and grill until it is done completely roasted. It takes about 12 to 14 mins.
• To grill in oven: Line a metal tray with foil. Cut each eggplant to 2 parts and place them on the tray with the skin side on top. You can also place the tomatoes in the same tray. Broil/Grill them at 460 F or 240 C for 16 to 18 mins.
• In air fryer: Place baingan, chilies, garlic and tomatoes in the air fryer basket. Air fry at 400 F or 200 C. It takes roughly about 22 mins for the whole eggplant, 16 mins if you halve the eggplant & air fry.
• Once done, check by inserting a fork into the eggplant. It should go in smoothly & easily meaning it is soft and cooked well. (Check step-by-step photos above)
• Cool the eggplant and peel the skin. Optionally - Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and cover it for 5 mins. Once done remove the skin.
• Mash or chop the eggplant, grilled garlic and green chilies. Keep these aside. Chop the tomatoes, onions and raw garlic as well.
• Pour oil to a hot pan. When the oil turns hot, add chopped ginger and garlic.
• Saute for 30 to 60 seconds until aromatic.
• Then add chopped onions and saute until they turn light golden.
• Add tomatoes and salt. Cook until they become soft. Then add red chili powder and cook for a few minutes until the raw smell from the tomatoes goes away.
• Then mashed eggplants, garlic and green chilies. (You may want to save half of the green chilies for later after taste testing)
• Mix everything and mash it a bit to blend well. Then add garam masala and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on a medium heat.
• Taste test and add more salt and green chilli. Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve baingan bharta with roti, rice or naan.

EASY BAINGAN BHARTA (OVEN ROASTED/BROILED EGGPLANT CURRY)

Steps:

• Set your oven rack so that your eggplants will be as close as possible to the heat source. Use a fork or knife to poke holes throughout the eggplant to prevent it from bursting in the oven.
• Preheat your broiler on High (550 degrees F/287 C). Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Roast the eggplants for about 30 minutes, turning midway. The skin will blacken and the eggplant may burst a little.
• Once the eggplant cools down (you can place it in a bowl of water to speed this up) peel the blackened skin, remove the stem and coarsely mash its flesh. I like to do this using the "pulse" function of my food processor. Set aside.
• Heat ghee and oil in a skillet a little over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. They will start to sputter. Immediately add the onion and sauté for 5-8 minutes, or until slightly golden. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to sauté until the raw smell disappears, or about 20 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until they're soft and the oil starts to leave the sides, about 5 minutes. Add a bit of water (if needed so the spices don't get burnt) and add the salt, paprika, red chili, and turmeric.
• Add the mashed eggplant and green chili peppers and cook, stirring often, until it is well cooked and becomes mushy like a purée, about 8-10 minutes. Taste and add oil, salt or paprika (for more color) as needed.
• Turn off the heat. Stir in the chopped cilantro leaves. Sprinkle lemon juice and garam masala over it. Serve with naan, roti or other bread. I like to eat it with some yogurt on the side to add some coolness to the dish.

BAINGAN BHARTA (EGGPLANT CURRY)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.
• Mix ginger garlic paste, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

BAINGAN BHARTA (ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Line a baking sheet with foil. Make 3 slashes in each eggplant, from top to tail, equally distanced around the eggplant. Rub the eggplants with a little peanut oil. Sit them on the baking sheet and roast until soft all the way to the center and the skin is brown, about 45 minutes, rotating the pan and flipping the eggplants halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Once cool, skin the eggplant. Chop the flesh until it's relatively smooth but not mushy.
• In a large skillet, warm the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and saute until it turns golden brown. Add the eggplant flesh, garlic, chile and cilantro leaves. Cook 2 minutes. Add a splash of water if it begins to stick.
• Add the turmeric, cumin, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir and cook another 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Add the yogurt and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, and garnish with cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of ground cumin. Serve either warm or slightly chilled.

BAINGAN BHARTA- INDIAN STYLE FIRE ROASTED EGGPLANTS

Steps:

• Prick eggplants and roast them over open flame or in a tandoor/preheated oven until the skin scorches and starts peeling off.
• The sure shot way to check if the eggplants are done is to pierce them with the back of a spoon, if it enters the brinjal like soft butter then they are done.
• When at room temperature remove the skin and mash the pulp.
• Chop the onions, tomatoes and green chilli.
• Heat oil(preferably mustard oil) in a kadahi(wok) and add chopped onions. Sauté until they are pink. Do not brown them.Then add chopped ginger, garlic, chopped green chilli and stir.
• After about 1/2 a minute add the tomatoes and the salt(adding salt with the tomatoes softens the tomatoes faster and thus makes cooking easier)When the tomatoes are done(oil seperates from them)add all the powders except for the garam masala powder and cook for another 1/2 a minute.
• Now add the mashed brinjals. After this point not much cooking is required. Cook for about 1/2 to 1 minute and finally add the garam masala and chopped corriander leaves.
• Serve immediately with roti, paraatha, naan, pitta bread, or even on a toast! We love it on a crunchy toast - irresistable, I tell you!

EGGPLANT CURRY (BAINGAN BHARTA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Make slits in the eggplant using a knife; insert garlic cloves into slits. Place eggplant in a baking dish.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until onion is softened, about 2 minutes more. Add chile powder and salt and cook until onions are completely soft, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Bake eggplant in the preheated oven until soft enough to peel and mash, 15 to 20 minutes. Peel eggplant and place in a bowl. Mash eggplant and garlic to a paste with no large lumps.
• Add mashed eggplant to the skillet with the tomato mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add yogurt and mix well. Cover skillet and simmer 5 minutes more; excess oil should appear at the bottom.
• Add green chiles and mint leaves to the skillet and increase heat to high. Cook until excess liquid has cooked off, 4 to 5 minutes.

BAINGAN KA BHARTA (INDIAN-PUNJABI STYLE)

Steps:

• Set oven to broil on high. Grease the Egg Plant with some oil, poke 2 or three holes (so it doesn't explode)and put it in the oven. Keep checking it till the outer skin starts cracking and can be peeled off easily. You want the skin to burn a little so the eggplant has a smokey flavor.
• Allow the eggplant to cool a little. Peel the outer skin of the eggplant under cold water.
• When the skin is removed, mash the eggplant well so that it has an even consistency, you can keep seeds or remove them based on your preferance.
• Put some oil in a pan. When hot, put hing (Asafoetida)and Jeera (cumin seeds)in. After a minute or so, when the cumin seeds begin to turn darker and give off aroma, add the finely chopped onions.
• When the onions are light golden brown, add the finely cut green chillies and ginger to it.
• Heat the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Then add tomatoes and stir until this masala is pulpy and seperates from the oil.
• Add all the masalas and add the eggplant to it. Stir it well and crush the eggplant as much as possible.
• Heat and stir it until the egg plant is well blended into the onion and tomato paste mixture.
• The more you sauté it, the more enhanced the flavor becomes.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Parathas or Roti (Indian flat bread).

BAINGAN BHARTA (CURRIED EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE))

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until tender.
• Remove from heat; cool, peel, and chop.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Mix in the cumin seeds and onion.
• Cook and stir until onion is tender.
• Mix in ginger and garlic pastes, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in the yogurt.
• Mix in eggplant and jalapenjo, and season with salt.
• Cover and cook 10 minutes on high heat.
• Remove the cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 5 more minutes.
• Garnish with 1/4 bunch of chopped cilantro if desired and serve.