Baingan bharta recipe - Roasted, charred on open flame and mashed eggplant is cooked with onion, tomato and very few spices. This is traditional Punjabi recipe.
How to choose the best eggplant for Baingan bharta?
- It should be big in size yet light on weight. If it is heavy meaning it has too many seeds inside. The taste of seeds in bharta is big NO.
- As I said, it should be large with smooth and shiny skin.
- It should look firm. When you give little pressure it will spring back
Traditionally, large baingan is cooked and charred in the tandoor. But at home we do it on open flame. There is no comparison between two but roasting on open flame is very close and it does give smokey flavor.
Yes roasting on open flame is messy. So there are other alternatives like cooking in microwave or baking in the oven. But I do not prefer these two since you won’t get smokey taste at all. There is no way you get real baingan bharta taste.
If you have charcoal grill at home then use that without the grill. Yes cook baingan directly into the charcoal. Make sure NOT to use instant charcoal briquettes which has chemicals in it. I would prefer to use natural lump charcoal. It takes little longer to heat up but you won’t get smell of those chemicals.
If you have electric stove then use the rack (similar to I am using here) and roast the baingan on top. It will be fine.
There are many variation in making it region by region. Today I am sharing the Punjabi version.
In Gujarat, similar recipe is called Ringan no olo. In Maharashtra, there is vangyache bharit. In West bengal, it is called begun pora. The method and ingredients are slightly different.
Here I have added little amount of green peas like we get in restaurants. That is optional though. Traditionally it is not added.
How to make baingan bharta recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Wash the baingan and pat it dry with kitchen napkin or towel. Using knife prick it from all over the sides. This helps to cook the baingan from inside center properly. Insert 4 garlic cloves in that slit. Apply oil all over it.
2) Now roast it directly on the flame.
3) Keep turning and roasting till all the sides are charred and till baingan is cooked completely. Check by inserting a knife, it should go in easily without any efforts.
4) Remove it to a plate and let it cool to touch.
5) Then peel the skin using your hand and discard. Also cut off the stem.
6) Now cut it. If it has lot of seeds then remove them. And roughly chop it, it will be almost mushy.
7) In that, add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
8) Mash and mix using potato masher. Keep it aside. Garlic will also get mashed.
9) Heat the ghee or oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
10) Then add chopped onion, ginger paste, crushed green chilies and salt to speed up the process.
11) Mix well and cook till onions are soft and light pink in color.
12) Add chopped tomatoes and mix.
13) Cook till tomatoes are soft and mushy.
14) Now add prepared baingan mixture.
15) Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
16) Now add boiled peas.
17) Mix and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Do stir once or twice in between.
18) Now squeeze the fresh lemon juice.
19) Add chopped coriander leaves.
20) Mix well and turn off the stove.
Serve baingan bharta hot/warm.
Serving suggestion: Serve this baingan bharta recipe with roti or paratha or bajra roti. Serve chaas or lassi, sliced onions or jaggery-ghee mixture on side.
Baingan bharta recipe
Ingredients
For roasting baingan:
- around 1 lb or 450 grams or 1 large Eggplant (Bharta baingan)
- 4-5 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Oil
For baingan bharta recipe:
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter) or Oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 small or ½ cup Red onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Green chilies chopped or ½ crushed
- 2 small or ¾ to 1 cup Tomato finely chopped
- ⅓ cup Green peas boiled
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
Prepping and roasting the baingan:
- Wash the baingan and pat it dry with kitchen napkin or towel.
- Using knife prick it from all over the sides. Insert 4 garlic cloves in that slit.
- Apply oil all over it.
- Now roast it directly on the flame.
- Keep turning and roasting till all the sides are charred and till baingan is cooked completely. Check by inserting a knife, it should go in easily without any efforts.
- Remove it to a plate and let it cool to touch.
- Then peel the skin using your hand and discard. Also cut off the stem.
- Now cut it. If it has lot of seeds then remove them. And roughly chop it.
- In that, add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mash and mix using potato masher. Keep it aside.
Making baingan bharta recipe:
- Heat the ghee or oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Then add chopped onion, ginger paste, crushed green chilies and salt. Mix well and cook till onions are soft and light pink in color.
- Add chopped tomatoes and mix. Cook till tomatoes are soft and mushy.
- Now add prepared baingan mixture.
- Mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now add boiled peas. Mix and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Do stir once or twice in between.
- Now squeeze the fresh lemon juice.
- Add chopped coriander leaves.
- Mix well and turn off the stove.
Really looks amazing..great picture representation Thanks for sharing
Thank you
Hi Kanan, Nikita here, would like to tell you that I have tried a lot of your recipes, such as baigan ka bhartha, tomato dal, rajma to name a few, wanted to convey that these are delicious. Thanks for posting 🙂
woo hoo.. very glad to know that you are enjoying.
Happy cooking!!!
I love all your recipes. The step by step instructions comes with pictures are very helpful especially for a different nationality like me. A million thanks. Keep up the good work.
Glad to know that it is helpful.
Thanks for your kind sharing.
you're welcome
This is one of my favorite recipe. I love that smoky flavor when you make it through open fire.
thanks for sharing.
true, that smokey flavor is too good.