Baingan ka Bharta (Punjabi recipe: Eggplant with Onion and Garlic)

This yummy looking dish is called Baingan ka Bharta. Now there are quite a few versions of Baingan Bharta but I love this one. In North India, Eggplant (Commonly known as Brinjal in India, its Hindi name is Baingan and we call it Begun in Bengali) during winter is in its beautiful round shape packed with fresh flavor and less seeds and my mom prepares this delicious simple Bharta for dinner almost every other week. The best part is, this is a totally vegetarian recipe and you don’t need any special Indian spice to prepare it. Just a couple of fresh vegetables and you are ready. Plus, the whole process of preparing this delicious Bharta is so simple yet unique. I love to sit near the grill while Debarshi fires it up and roasts the eggplant. Then while its cooling down I chop all the vegetables. The smoky aroma adds a whole another flavor to the dish.

This flavorful Bharta is sure to become your favorite. Just make sure to choose a big round fat eggplant for this recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• Eggplant - 1 large, washed
• Oil – 1+ 2 tablespoons
• Red Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
• Tomato - 2 medium, finely chopped
• Salt - To taste (about ½ teaspoon)
• Garlic – about 5-6 whole peeled cloves + 1 minced
• Red Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon or 1-2 Green Chilies, chopped
• Cilantro – a handful, chopped

Let’s Prep:

We have to roast the Eggplant first with the Garlic. This will bring that garlicky fragrance in the dish while not over powering it with too much garlic taste. 

• Pat dry the Eggplant with a kitchen towel. 
• Use a short knife and cut small ‘X’ shapes in the Eggplant at 5-6 places. Make sure that the cuts are deep and not too close to each other. Remember the eggplant will become soft after it is roasted. The cuts should be able to hold the garlic cloves properly.
• Push the garlic cloves completely inside those cuts. Again they should not fall off while being roasted.
• Push two skewers in the head of the eggplant so you can turn it easily.
• Apply 1 tablespoon of oil all over the eggplant. I use a brush to apply the oil liberally.
• Place the eggplant in an oven safe dish. It’s now ready to be roasted. The oven safe dish can be kept near the grill or stove as it can withstand high temperatures. This helps to transfer the eggplant as soon as it is done.

Photo shows: The garlic cloves have been pushed inside the eggplant completely. This is now ready to be roasted.

Let’s roast the Eggplant:

• Electric stoves are of no help for the roasting. We need an open flame to get the charred effect and smoky flavor. We will need a gas oven or a grill to proceed to the next step. You can also use a cooking grid to place the eggplant.
• Place the eggplant on medium heat. Make sure it has been placed properly on the grill/ stove and let it take its time to get roasted. It should get well cooked, the skin will look charred and you will smell a smoky aroma. Keep turning the eggplant after every couple of minutes.
• Once you feel that it has been charred completely and looks cooked, lightly poke the eggplant with a fork to check for doneness. On an average, it usually takes at least 15-20 minutes to get roasted. Keep in mind the time will change depending on the size of the eggplant. If the eggplant is done the fork will easily pass through it. If it is not yet cooked, continue roasting for another couple of minutes.
• Once the eggplant is fully roasted, transfer it carefully on the dish and keep it aside. 
• The stove will look a little messy with all the eggplant’s juices on it but I would recommend to leave it for now. Its better to clean once it cools down. Needless to say that’s another advantage of using a grill. 

Photo shows: Eggplant being roasted on the grill. Now although I have used a wooden skewer here, these days I always use metal skewers. They don’t break and are sturdier.

Directions for preparing the Bharta:

• Allow the eggplant to cool down completely. I am saying this because we will be using our fingers to peel the charred skin off the eggplant. 
• Once the eggplant has been peeled, its time to mash it. You can use a potato masher. I like to use my chopper, a few whirls and it cuts all the big chunks.
• Now heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of Oil in a wok or big skillet over medium high heat.
• Add the Onion and minced Garlic in it.
• If you are adding Green Chilies add them as well.
• Add the Salt, this will help the Onion to caramelize faster. Mix well and fry till they are golden brown in color.
• Add the Tomatoes with the Red Chilli powder and mix well.
• Keep frying till the mixture is well cooked and the oil separates.
• Now add the mashed eggplant and mix everything well. 
• Turn down the heat to medium low and keep frying for another 1- 2 minutes.
• Add the Cilantro. Turn off the heat and serve it with hot Rotis or Parathas.

Tip:

• I never smash or crush the garlic cloves for this recipe. Remember we need to push the cloves inside the eggplant and if the clove has been smashed it will become difficult to push it. So, just remove the brown top of the garlic clove by slicing it with a sharp knife. You can now peel the skin easily.
• You can use wooden or metal skewers. Just make sure you push them inside the eggplant as much as you can. This helps turn the eggplant easily. If using wooden skewers, you will have to dip them in water for some time otherwise they may catch fire.
• Yesterday when we were roasting the eggplant on the grill, it started raining. We used an aluminum foil to cover the top of the eggplant and continued roasting. The foil helped protect the eggplant and the flame from rain.
• You can also use your oven broiler to create that charred look and flavor in your eggplant.  At 500 degrees F, it should take about 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplant. Make sure to turn the eggplant after a few minutes so that it cooks evenly.

Recommended Reading:

• Food Chopper and its Importance in Our Kitchen
• Indian Salad
• Alu Kulcha (Indian Flat Bread with Potato Filling)
• Korola Alu (Stir fried Bitter Gourd with Potatoes)
• Alu Begun-er Chonka (Bengali recipe: Stir-fried Potatoes and Eggplant)
• Grilled Tandoori Shrimp
• Murgh Malai Tikka (Grilled Creamy Tender Chicken)
• Shadi wala Masala Gobhi (Spiced Cauliflower with Potatoes as served in North Indian Weddings)