Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Baingan Bharta

I am not a big fan of eggplant. But I love  two dishes that are made with eggplant. One is Punjabi Baingan Bharta and the other is Italian Eggplant parm. I have an excellent recipe that I got from an Italian friend for eggplant parm which I will post soon.


Now coming to Baingan Bharta, it is a Punjabi dish made with mashed eggplant. Tradtionally, it is pepared by roasting the eggplant over an open flame to give the dish a smoky flavour. But since I dont have a gas range with an open flame, I went the easier way. I microwaved the eggplant. I am sure roasting the eggplant will add so much more flavour to this dish. So, people who have an open flame, go ahead and roast the eggplant without giving a second thought. It is worth all the pain. Most of the Noth Indian dishes that I have tried either uses cream or butter or cashew nuts. This dish does not need any of those ingredients. It tastes delicious, regardless.



Ingredients:


1. Eggplant - 1 large
2. Oil - 1 tablespoon
3. Cumin - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Onion - 1 finely chopped
6. Garlic - 4 minced
7. Tomatoes - 1 1/2 finely chopped
8. Garam masala powder - 1 teaspoon
9. Dhania powder - 1 teaspoon
10. Turmeric - 1 teaspoon
11. Chilli powder - 2 teaspoons / per taste
12. Salt - as needed
13. Cilantro - to garnish


Method:


1. Wash and pat dry the egg plant. Apply oil on all sides of the eggplant. Microwave it for 10 minutes. Time may vary depending on the power of the microwave. You should be able to peel of the skin just by pulling it.
2. Remove the skin, mash the eggplant and set it aside.
3. Heat oil in a tawa, add mustard and jeera.
4. Once it splutters, add chopped onions and minced garlic. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
5. Now add the chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Let it cook till the tomatoes get soft and mushy.
6. Now add all the masala powders and the mashed eggplant and cilantro. Give it a quick stir and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
7. Shhhhhh..... add a teaspoon of ghee and mix it well with the bharta. It adds so much flavour to this dish. But it is really optional.


Serve this healthy dish with roti, naan or rice.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thanks for visiting my blog!