Hyderabadi bagara baingan recipe - As the name says, it is one of the popular dishes from Hyderabad. If you translate the words, bagara means tempering of spices into the oil and baingan is Hindi word for eggplant or aubergine in this case in baby form.
The gravy has nutty and slightly tangy flavor. Nutty flavor comes from peanuts, sesame seeds and dry coconut. While tamarind adds slight tanginess.
To make it healthy, I have cooked the baingan in little amount of oil instead of deep frying. Yes, traditionally they are deep fried.
I have adapted this recipe from a cookbook. In the cookbook. Actually not adapted but followed the method exactly.
In the recipe, it does not mention to dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut. So I was little worried about the taste, but surprisingly it came out wonderfully good.
If you dry roast them before grinding then sure it will taste good. But without that step it tasted that good why add an extra step.
Check out more baingan recipes
Baingan bharta
How to make bagara baingan recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Wash baby eggplant well. Remove the stems and cut into 4 pieces. And keep in a cold water to avoid discoloration. Alternately, if you want you can cut the eggplants in smaller pieces.
2) Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add eggplant pieces. Sprinkle some salt on it and let it cook and do flip them in between for even cooking.
3) While it is cooking let’s make the paste. Take all the ingredients listed under ‘for paste’ in a grinder. First add water and then other ingredients for easy grinding process.
4) And make smooth paste. Keep aside till needed. Here mine looks little grainy and I could not grind into smooth paste since my blender gave up on me and insisted to order new one immediately.
5) And now eggplants are cooked. Check by inserting a knife, if it cuts easily without any effort meaning they are cooked well.
6) Remove it to another plate and keep it aside.
7) Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
8) Then add ground paste and salt. Mix well.
9) Cook it till all the moisture evaporates and it starts to leave the sides of the pan. Keep stirring in between so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
10) Add red chili powder and coriander powder.
11) Mix and cook for a minute.
12) Add water to make it gravy consistency. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
13) Now add cooked eggplant.
14) Mix gently and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
15) Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.
Serving suggestion: This bagara baingan can be served on side with plain steamed rice, biryani rice or hyderabadi veg biryani. It can be served with roti or paratha or poori as well.
Bagara baingan recipe
Ingredients
To grind into paste -
- 1 medium or 1 ½ cups Red onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic
- ½ inch Ginger
- 3 small Green chilies
- 10-12 sprigs Cilantro or coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoons Peanuts
- 2 tablespoons Desiccated coconut
- 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon Tamarind paste or ½ small lemon sized seedless tamarind
- ¼ cup Water
For bagara baingan recipe::
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- 6 Small baingan (baby eggplant)
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 cup Water
- 2-3 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped for garnishing
Instructions
Cooking eggplants:
- Wash baby eggplant well. Remove the stems and cut into 4 pieces.
- And keep in a cold water to avoid discoloration.
- Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add eggplant pieces. Sprinkle some salt on it and let it cook and do flip them in between for even cooking.
- Once eggplants are cooked. Check by inserting a knife, if it cuts easily without any effort meaning they are cooked well.
- Remove it to another plate and keep it aside.
making paste:
- Take all the ingredients listed under ‘for paste’ in a grinder.
- First add water and then other ingredients for easy grinding process.
- And make smooth paste.
- Keep aside till needed.
Making bagara baingan recipe:
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same pan on medium heat.
- Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Then add ground paste and salt. Mix well.
- Cook it till all the moisture evaporates and it starts to leave the sides of the pan. Keep stirring in between.
- Add red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook for a minute.
- Add water to make it gravy consistency. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add cooked eggplant.
- Mix gently and let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Turn off the stove.
- Finally garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Nutrition
Adapted from – Simply South Traditional Vegetarian Cook
Wanted to make this for a long time now. Your recipe was very good, came out very well. Thanks.
Thanks Vipin for the review. Nice to know that it came out good
Hi Kanan, regular follower of ur site, great fan of ur cooking.
I tried this brinjal receipe of yours. Turned great. Only one thing, i guess gravy will also need salt, which is missed. Otherwise it was amazing.
Nice to hear that it came out good. Yea gravy needs salt, I have added salt two times, while cooking baingan and second along with ground paste. You can adjust as per you taste
I tried many of ur recipes..and all of them tasted super delicious ..Ihave tried paneer kadahi and mushroom kadahi many times nd it tasted divine....Thanks Kanan for sharing recipes with us...the way u present ur recipes along with the pics is so gud..Thanks again and keep writing.
Thank you Shilpa for positive reviews. Nice to hear that recipes came out good.
Hey Kanan...I am not a foodie and do not cook regularly..but whenever I am tempted to try something new, I turn to spiceupthecurry..I love all your recipes..your photographs and description of the process just makes it so easy..thanks a lot.
glad to know that you are enjoying recipes here whether its reading or cooking. Thank you Priyanka. 🙂
Flavourful and delicious bagara baingan.