Instruction

• Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water
• Pat dry with a kitchen napkin
• Apply some oil all over and keep it for roasting on an open flame
• You can also grill the baingan or roast in the oven
• But then you won't get the smoky flavor of the baingan
• Keep the eggplant turning after a 2 to 3 minutes on the flame, so that its evenly cooked
• You could also embed some garlic cloves in the baingan and then roast it
• Roast the aubergine till its completely cooked and tender
• With a knife check the doneness
• The knife should slid easily in aubergines without any resistance
• Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools down
• You can also do the dhungar technique of infusing charcoal smoky flavor in the baingan
• This is an optional step
• Use natural charcoal for this method
• Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes smoking hot and red
• Make small cuts on the baingan with a knife
• Place the red hot charcoal in the same plate where the roasted aubergine is kept
• Add a few drops of oil on the charcoal
• The charcoal would begin to smoke
• As soon as smoke begins to release from the charcoal, cover the entire plate tightly with a large bowl
• Allow the charcoal smoke to get infused for 1 to 2 minutes
• The more you do, the more smoky the baingan bharta will become
• I just keep for a minute
• Alternatively, you can also do this dhungar method once the baingan bharta is cooked, just like the way we do for Dal Tadka
• Peel the skin from the roasted and smoked eggplant
• Chop the cooked eggplant finely or you can even mash it
• In a kadai or pan, heat oil
• Then add finely chopped onions and garlic
• Saute the onions till translucent
• Don't brown them
• 10
• Add chopped green chilies and saute for a minute
• 11
• Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well
• 12
• Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating from the mixture
• 13
• Now add the red chili powder
• Stir and mix well
• 14
• Add the chopped cooked baingan
• 15
• Stir and mix the chopped baingan very well with the onion­tomato masala mixture
• 16
• Season with salt
• Stir and saute for some more 4 to 5 minutes more
• 17
• Finally stir in the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta or garnish it with them
• Serve Baingan Bharta with phulkas, rotis or chapatis
• It goes well even with bread, toasted or grilled bread and plain rice or jeera rice