I gave up cooking with non-stick pots and pans a long time ago. I am a gal who likes stuff to be low-maintenance and safe, and non-stick pans, it seemed, were neither. You had to be ultra-cautious in cleaning them, and if you got a scrape, heaven forbid, unwanted chemicals could leach into your food.
But non-stick pans do, of course, serve a valuable purpose: you need less oil to cook your food which is important in our health-aware world. And some foods, like a stir-fry, for instance, are better off cooked in non-stick pans. Of course, I never cooked in a non-stick pan that was 100 percent non-stick, but that's another story.
Anyway, when I decided to give up non-stick pans, I was in a dilemma. My sturdy stainless steel pots and pans were good enough for most every day cooking, but with low-fat stir-frys, for instance, I did feel the need for a surface that was slicker and more forgiving.
That's when I read a newspaper article on cast-iron pans. This was almost a decade ago, but that article so impressed me, I still have it -- yellowed and fraying-- in my kitchen cabinet. I prize it not so much for the information any more, which I have almost by heart, but for the fact that it marked a significant milestone in my kitchen routine.
In India, tavas, or flat griddles used to bake chapatis and such, are usually made with cast iron. But until I read this article, that was the extent of my knowledge about cooking with cast iron.
When seasoned, the article said, cast-iron pans made great non-stick pans one could fry, saute, stir-fry and cook just about anything in.
So the next time I went to the market, I picked myself a 12 inch cast-iron skillet.
It was metallic-gray and was a steal compared to most good-quality non-stick pans. The article had details on seasoning the pan, which sounded really strange and really odd to someone who had never done anything like it before, but I gave it a go.
Then, I tried cooking in my cast-iron pan. It was a disaster.
Everything stuck to it, didn't come off, and tasted funny. Still, I wasn't about to give up. One of the most magical things about cast-iron pans is, they are supposed to improve with use. And so I continued to season my pan and used it only to do oily stuff like deep-fry at the beginning. Gradually, my cast-iron pan began to get that prized black, shiny hue and smooth texture that turns it into a naturally non-stick pan.
Now, I have an assortment of cast-iron pans in all shapes and sizes (except a dutch oven. Desi, are you reading?), and I use them all the time for everything from making pancakes to curries to veggies and, of course, to deep-fry.
I couldn't be happier. They look great, clean easily (forget all those stories about never washing your cast-iron pan. I do it all the time, sometimes even with soap, and it's never hurt them), and they are supposed to add iron to your food which is great when you are a vegan like me. You do need to take some precautions, like not putting them away when wet (I usually just put mine on the stove after washing and wiping to make sure all the moisture is gone), and you also need to season them a little more frequently when they are new.
This ode to cast-iron pans was just the precursor to this delicious stuffed-eggplant dish that I wanted to share with you, and which I cooked, surprise, in a cast-iron skillet.
Baghare Baingan is a dish from Andhra Pradesh, in South India. It's very close to Bharleli Vangi, or Bharli Vangi, which is a dish I often ate growing up at the home of Maharashtrian relatives, but has some differences that make it quite unique.
This dish typically uses a lot of oil, but I cut it down quite a bit. You do need the small, round Indian eggplants for this, usually available in Indian grocery stores if you happen to live outside India. These smaller eggplants have a more delicate flesh and skin, and they are the perfect size for stuffing.
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Baghare Baingan
Ingredients
- 10 small, round eggplants (washed and stems trimmed. Make two slits, crosswise, on the non-stem side, stopping short of making a clean cut, so the eggplant holds together at the base.)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon peanuts
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (khuskhus)
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon tamarind pulp
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1- inch knob ginger (chopped)
- 6 large cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- Roast the onions on a dry cast-iron or non-stick skillet until they soften and brown spots appear. Remove to a blender.
- Roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fenugreek seeds and peanuts until they start to change color and smell fragrant, about a minute or two on medium heat. Add to the blender.
- Now add the ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, sugar, salt and coconut milk to the blender.
- Blend until you have a fairly smooth paste.
- Now stuff this paste into the prepared eggplants.
- Heat the oil in a cast-iron or other skillet.
- Add the curry leaves, stir for a minute, and then add the eggplants one by one, placing them away from you so the oil doesn't splatter on you.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes or until the eggplants begin to soften.
- Now add the remaining paste and ¾ cup of water.
- Bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, to ensure all sides of each eggplant get cooked.
- The dish should be done when the eggplants are tender enough to be pierced through with a fork, and when specks of oil have risen to the surface.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Nithya Praveen
Eggplants are my fav vegetables....any kind/version makes me happy.I hv never used iron skillets...am so obsessed with my nonstick cookware.My husband helps me with the utensils after dinner....i never let him even touch any nonstick vessels....huh! I guess am too obsessed,the cleaning bit is sumtng i hate.I shud hunt for iron skillets now...ur post made me think.Thanks for the idea Vishali.
Miri
Its funny how we turn full circle don't we?! 🙂
The baghara baingan is one of my favourite and is very similar to the Mirchi ka salan recipe...
kahliyalogue
Vaishali!
Thank you so much for this info about cast iron pans..this just sounds so right to me!I wish to do the same!What do you mean by seasoning the pan-just oiling it?Like with olive oil?Is there anything to watch out for when I purchase them?Any different kinds..?I am so happy to learn this.. I also love this eggplant recipe,I am a huge fan of eggplants,so this is a keeper!
Thanx! 🙂
Priya
Wow Wat a delicious and tempting baingan dish Vaishali..mouthwatering yaa!
Sharmila
I have a couple of these kadhais and they are wonderful .. not like those delicate non stick ones that peel at the slightest negligence ... and turn useless. But some say that they should not be used to cook anything sour.
Love that baghare baingan. 🙂
Dips
hey..great recipe..my pakistani friend taught it to me and its really delicious...
I gotta try those cast-iron pans soon...my culinary shopping list keeps getting longer !
Superchef
ive just made this once..but have always loved it! delicious!
Jaya Wagle
Not a big fan of baingan but your recipe makes me wanna try it. Hubby loves it, so this weekend Baghare Baingan it is :).
BTW I too bought my first cast iron pan after reading an article about harmful effects of non-stick pans. My research on the net said the made in USA Lodge cast iron pans are the best and that's what I have. I cook everything in it, from curries to paranthas to fried fish.
Recently, I found a pre seasoned cast iron "tava", also from Lodge. Takes the hassel out of seasoning it.
Pavani
One of my favorite eggplant dishes. Love it..
I bought a pre-seasoned cast iron pan few months back, but havent been using it much. Will have to start cooking in it.
Vanamala
looks so nice..i too make a similar one.
Sunshinemom
My mother tells me this all the time about cast iron pans. Am yet to get my own but I will soon and try these baingans in it too:). They taste very very good with phulkas!
Soma
I am so happy that u share my passion of cast iron. I have stopped using non stick except on rare occasions when i have to use the BIG ones I still have for cooking for 35 people...I have my skillets for for than 10 years & nothing sticks! easy to clean. i got cast iron kadai from india. & just got myself an iron double griddle come grill.
I have a few hard anodized (no non stick coating).. & they are great too... like the irons.. no dishwasher.. but great to use & clean
That baigain looks awesome vaishalli. i actually still remember the flavor some food traditional food would have getting cooked iron back home!
sorry for this LONG comment!
Priya
I think is was all a ploy to sneak in another eggplant recipe 😀
I don't like non-stick too, but have one pan for my stir-fry's alone. The rest are stainless steel. I bought a cast iron pan a year back, pre-seasoned one. The initial few trails were not that successful, and me being the lazy self, went back to the non-stick. Will get it back out again now 🙂
Lou
A lovely tribute to cast iron pans! Got to get myself some at the local Asian supermarket. And don't you just adore eggplants? They're present in most major cuisines -- in my native country we like to grill it and eat it with chopped raw onions and tomatoes...mmmm!
Pooja
I do have a cast iron pan which I use only for grilling. And because of the norm that it cannot be washed with water I have a hard time cleaning. Thanks for mentioning about it. I have found a way at last! Baghare Baingan looks so delicious! My favourite dish. And with less oil its simply superb!
Cilantro
My all time favorite. I love the cast iron pans, they last a lifetime compared to the non stick ones.
Charanya
Hi Vaishali! I heard about your site through Gayathri - and have been following it for a while, making tweaks to my own cooking with ideas inspired from your blog. This current recipe sounds absolutely delish - I am a huge eggplant fan - can't wait to try it out!
Great job on the site!!
Pavithra
Wow thats looking so tempting and perfect. Mouthwatering vaishali... so good nice clicks too
Parita
baghare baigan looks tasty, tempting clicks!
Anonymous
I love cast iron pans but as a greek that cooks with tomatoes almost every day I use them only once and a while, as you cannot cook tomatoes on a cast iron pan.
Best. Maria