Baingan bharta – Smoky brinjals mashed and cooked with tomato and Indian spices
Baingan bharta is a classic North Indian specialty from the state of Punjab. Baigan in Hindi means brinjal and the word bharta means mashed. Every region have its own twist and version of making baigan ka bharta. You can also add handful of boiled or frozen peas in the bharta, but i don’t prefer adding so avoided.
What is special about Baigan ka bharta
Bringals are grilled over charcoal or in a tandoor .Then the peeled flash is cooked with tomato,fresh herbs and mild spices.The smoky rustic flavor is the specialty of baigan ka bharta.
You can also make bharta by grilling the brinjal in an oven or cooking it in microwave ,but you will get the authentic smoky flavor only by grilling it on open direct flame.
How to select brinjals for making bharta
Choose plump fresh big and light in weight brinjals to make baingan bharta. Heavy brinjals have more seeds and take long to cook so avoid heavy brinjals.
How To Make Baigan ka Bharta-
After washing and wiping the brinjal make a cut in the center and check if it is good from inside . Apply some oil over the Brinjal preferably mustard oil before roasting .
Stuff few green chilies, cloves and asafoetida inside the slits.. Now keep the brinjals over open flame of your stove and keep rotating the brinjal for even cooking on all sides. Roast it over the gas on medium to high heat
After the brinjal get roasted well and become soft and charred then remove from the flame and rest for 5 minutes. You can cover the roasted brinjal with a big bowl or lid so it will cook further .Avoid dipping the roasted brinjal in water to cool down as it reduces the roasted flavor. Now peel the skin of the brinjal and discard the cloves .
Chop the tomatoes , green chilies and ginger. Heat oil in a pan and make tadka / tempering with cumin, asafoetida , tomatoes , and ginger. Add salt and cook till tomato become soft.
Add all the remaining spices and the chopped mashed brinjal and mix. Cook baingan bharta on low heat for about 10 minutes. add fresh coriander and serve hot with roti or rice.
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Baigan ka Bharta /Smoky Brinjal Mash
Ingredients
- 1 kg Brinjals / Baingan
- 3 Tomatoes / Tamatar
- 4 Green Chillies / Hari Mirch
- 2 inch Ginger / Adrak
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander / Cilantro / Hara Dhaniya
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
- 1 tsp Red Chilli powder / Laal mirch powder
- 1/3 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
- 1 tsp Salt / Namak
- 3 Cloves / Lavang
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 4 tbsp Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Smear little oil on the brinjals and make 3 slits on each and stuff green chillies,2 cloves and some asafoetida in the slits.
- Place them directly on the gas stove burner and roast on medium flame,keep turning and rotating it so all the side get cooked evenly and properly.
- Cook till it become soft and the skin looks charred and shrinked and start peeeling off.
- Remove the cloves and peel off the skin completely and discard it, and then mash the pulp and chillies completely with a fork or chop finely.
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds,when they start crackling add the chopped tomatoes
- Saute for few seconds and then add turmeric powder,chili powder,salt and chopped Ginger
- Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or till tomatoes become soft.
- Now add mashed brinjals,mix and cover and cook again for approx 3 minutes.keep stirring in between
- Add garam masala powder and fresh coriander and mix well
- Garnish with ginger julienne's and serve hot.
Notes
1-Select fresh, big, and fleshy brinjals for making bharta.
2-Choose the brinjals which are light in weight in comparison to the size ,don't buy heavy brinjals.
3-Don't remove the stems before roasting,stems help in rotating the brinjal.
4-you can also use mustard oil in it if you like the flavour.
Michael says
Just to check since I’ve gotten in trouble with recipes before when I get confused; are cloves actual cloves or garlic cloves?
Anjana Chaturvedi says
They are cloves- the spice
Amrita Vishal says
I love baingan ka bharta and yours looks so yummy…love the english name you have given!!
Sadaf Afshan says
I love baingan bharta. I usually roast it in the oven under the broiler and sometimes heat a piece of charcoal to give smoke to the bharta.
Amuthis Kitchen says
Had this in a Nepali restaurant. Was searching for the recipe.Loved this dish.
Kitchen Queen says
I always put garlic inside and put it in microwave, cause i don't like on stove smell. Lovely dish.
Shweta in the Kitchen says
One of the favorite dishes at our place
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Hema says
Simply love this..
DivyaGCP says
Looks so delicious and inviting..
Priya says
Prefect side dish for rotis.
Veena Theagarajan says
yummy Baigan bharta..
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Sangeetha says
sounds very flavorful n yummy…
Maha Gadde says
yumm n tasty recipe
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divya says
Looks very delicious. Love the flavors. Yummy!
Archana Potdar says
Lovely recipe. I always use garlic but now I will try your way.
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Priya R says
interesting recipe and so new to me, will try it sometime 🙂
Meena B says
there was a time i hated baingan bharta but one time i saw on tv a version and tried it and it came out awesome
i keep changing the flavours of it and love it with rice mainly..
bt bhartai sandwich i never had
this is so yummy and filling dish
Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj says
yummy…
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PT says
one of my fav veggie recipe.. love it with roti..