Baingan Bharta

Ingredients

• 1 large Aubergine
• ½ cup Onion
• 1 cup Tomatoes
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Green Chilli
• ¼ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 1.5 tablespoon Oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped Coriander Leaves
• as required salt

Directions

1. Step 1: Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water. Pat dry with a kitchen napkin. Apply some oil all over and
2. Step 2: 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
3. Step 3: the smoky flavor of the baingan. Keep the eggplant turning after a 2 to 3 minutes on the flame, so that its evenly
4. Step 4: cooked. You could also embed some garlic cloves in the baingan and then roast it.
5. Step 5: Roast the aubergine till its completely cooked and tender. With a knife check the doneness. The knife should slid
6. Step 6: easily in aubergines without any resistance. Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools
7. Step 7: down.
8. Step 8: You can also do the dhungar technique of infusing charcoal smoky flavor in the baingan. This is an optional step.
9. Step 9: Use natural charcoal for this method. Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes smoking hot and red.
10. Step 10: Make small cuts on the baingan with a knife. Place the red hot charcoal in the same plate where the roasted
11. Step 11: aubergine is kept. Add a few drops of oil on the charcoal. The charcoal would begin to smoke.
12. Step 12: As soon as smoke begins to release from the charcoal, cover the entire plate tightly with a large bowl. Allow the
13. Step 13: charcoal smoke to get infused for 1 to 2 minutes. The more you do, the more smoky the baingan bharta will
14. Step 14: become. I just keep for a minute. Alternatively, you can also do this dhungar method once the baingan bharta is
15. Step 15: cooked, just like the way we do for Dal Tadka.
16. Step 16: Peel the skin from the roasted and smoked eggplant.
17. Step 17: Chop the cooked eggplant finely or you can even mash it.
18. Step 18: In a kadai or pan, heat oil. Then add finely chopped onions and garlic.
19. Step 19: Saute the onions till translucent. Don't brown them.
20. Step 20: Add chopped green chilies and saute for a minute.
21. Step 21: Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well.
22. Step 22: Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating from the mixture.
23. Step 23: Now add the red chili powder. Stir and mix well.
24. Step 24: Add the chopped cooked baingan.
25. Step 25: Stir and mix the chopped baingan very well with the onion­tomato masala mixture.
26. Step 26: Season with salt. Stir and saute for some more 4 to 5 minutes more.
27. Step 27: Finally stir in the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta or garnish it with them. Serve Baingan Bharta with
28. Step 28: phulkas, rotis or chapatis. It goes well even with bread, toasted or grilled bread and plain rice or jeera rice.