Baingan Bharta

5 from 7 votes

This tasty north Indian, restaurant-style dish, Baingan Bharta, features creamy, fire-roasted and mashed eggplants in a spicy tomato onion sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Sabzi/Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Punjabi

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Wok or skillet

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (use Italian eggplants)
8-10 garlic cloves (crushed and left whole. Halve if very large)
1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium onions (finely chopped)
¼ cup cilantro (finely chopped)
2 tablespoon grated ginger
4 tomatoes (finely diced)
1 green chili pepper (like serrano or jalapeno, finely minced. Optional)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne (use more or less depending on how much heat you like)
½ teaspoon turmeric
Salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Roasting the eggplants on a grill or stovetop: Make slits all over the eggplant skin and insert the crushed garlic inside each until it's firmly embedded. Using a pair of tongs, carefully roast the eggplant on each side until the skin is charred and a knife inserted in the thickest part goes cleanly through.
Roasting the eggplants in the oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut each eggplant into half lengthwise. Make slits in the flesh portion of each half and insert a garlic clove in each. Place cut side down on a foil-lined pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the thickest part of the eggplant goes cleanly through.
When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin if you roasted them over an open fire, or, if you baked them, scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Chop roughly. You can also mash the eggplant or blitz it, but I prefer chopping for the best flavor. Set the eggplant aside.
In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the cumin. Let the cumin darken slightly and then add the chopped onion, green chillies, if using, and half the cilantro. Season with some salt. Saute or stir fry over medium heat until the onions soften and start to brown.
Add the ginger, coriander powder, cayenne and turmeric. Mix well to toast the spices, for about a minute. Then add in the chopped tomatoes. Mix, and let them cook another five minutes or so until pulpy. You don't want to cook them for too long.
Add the chopped or mashed eggplant and mix thoroughly until it disappears into the sauce. Add salt as necessary.
Turn off the heat after five minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Notes

If you already have a jar of my Tomato Onion Masala Sauce handy, you can reduce the time needed to make this dish by half. Roast the eggplant and scoop out the flesh. Chop it up. Next, heat the oil, add the cumin, and then add the tomato onion sauce to the saucepan. Heat it through, add the chopped eggplant, and mix. Garnish with cilantro, and you're done.
I usually serve eggplant bharta with basmati rice and a simple dal like the green tomato dal you see in the photo. The dal is a south Indian dish, but it complements the north Indian bharta perfectly. Any dal will do just as well.
Baingan Bharta is perfect with a garlic naan or a roti or aloo kulcha.
Place leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to three days. Baingan bharta freezes nicely. Place in an airtight container after it has cooled and freeze for up to three months. Reheat frozen or refrigerated eggplant bharta in the microwave, about 3-5 minutes for frozen and 1-2 minutes if refrigerated. Stir a couple of times in between to ensure everything is evenly heated. If doing this on the stovetop thaw the bharta first, then reheat in a skillet or wok.

Nutrition