Thursday, March 15, 2012

Shortcut Baingan Bharta (Indian Style Mashed Eggplant)

Thanks to my dad's patience and experimenting, he's come up with a way to make really good baingan bharta without all the fuss and effort usually required.  The only thing that is missing from this shortcut version is the smokey flavor that comes with roasting the eggplant over a flame, but to be honest, I actually like this version better because I think you can really taste all the delicious fresh ingredients that you can't in it's original form.

Baingan Bharta
Serves 3 people as a meal accompaniment 



Ingredients
1 eggplant
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 large handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp grated/ground ginger
3/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1 pinch hing (asafoetida) 
1/2 tsp cayenne powder (or more to desired spice level)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste

Directions
1.  Wash eggplant, cut into 2 or 4 pieces.  Place in microwave safe container with a few teaspoons of water and a lid.  Microwave until cooked, for approximately 12 minutes (more or less time depending on the strength of your microwave).  Remove the eggplant from the cooking container, allow to cool, and then peel.  Discard the skin.  Chop/crush the eggplant flesh and set aside. 

2. In a non-stick pan, heat canola oil.  Add mustard seeds and wait until they start to sizzle and pop.  Then add the pinch of hing, followed by the onions.

3.  Saute the onions until soft.  Then add the garlic, ginger, and all of the remaining spices.  Stir for a minute or two to avoid burning.

4.  Add the tomatoes.  Allow to cook for a couple of minutes until they start to break down.

5.  Add the eggplant and make sure to combine all the ingredients together well.

6.  Add the cilantro.  Turn off the heat.  Stir the cilantro in well, and serve hot.  



4 comments:

Florence Craye said...

I've tried making slits on the brinjal and microwaving it as an alternative to roasting. It turns out ok, but the microwave heats unevenly so it's not my preferred methods. I'm going to try this! Thanks for sharing this, Tara!

jacobmontereal said...

Oh new recipe of eggplant, thanks for this I will try is for sure, I love eggplant anyway.

nuvali laguna

Laurena Katalina said...

Made this for my husband last week and it was a huge success!! Thank you Tara for yet another fabulous recipe.
Lauren

chow and chatter said...

looks great adore Indian recipes with eggplant, my hubby is Indian