Baingan Bharta Recipe (Mashed Eggplant)

Eggplants are not a favorite of manyyyyy people, I know.  But when eggplant is grilled, mashed, mixed and cooked well with other veggies, herbs and spices, it is easier to accept and adapt this dark shade vegetable.

This recipe for Mashed Eggplant Curry or Baingan ka Bharta [Baingan aka eggplant/brinjal] serves 4-6 people.

Mashed Brinjal | Baingan ka Bhurta

What you need for baingan ka bharta:

1 large brinjal [~ 250 gm]

¼ cup thinly sliced red bell peppers ¹

¼ cup boiled/frozen green peas ¹

2 Tbsp oil

½ cup chopped onion

2 tsp chopped garlic (lehsun)

1 tsp grated ginger (adrak)

½ cup chopped tomato

¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

2 tsp red chili powder [to taste]

2 tsp coriander-cumin seed powder (dhania-jeera powder)

1 Tbsp roasted sesame seed powder

½ tsp garam masala (optional)
Salt to taste

Let's Begin!

1.  Apply some oil over brinjal and roast directly over flame; rotate occasionally to roast evenly².  Then keep it covered under a bowl for 5 minutes – this makes the peeling easy.  Meanwhile, lightly stir fry the bell peppers & green peas, keep aside.  Then peel brinjal, and mash well with potato masher.

If you have an electric stove top, use a wire mesh with the heat at medium to roast the eggplant.  If your eggplant does not have a stem to hold while rotating, jab a fork at the opposite end of the eggplant to turn it around and roast evenly.

2.  Heat oil, add onions, sauté, add garlic + ginger + tomato + turmeric powder + red chili powder + coriander-cumin powder & cook till tomato softens and oil oozes from the side.  Finally add mashed brinjal, sesame seed powder, garam masala if using, and salt.  Mix well & cook couple of minutes, then finish all the mashing & mixing at this point.  Now finally add the stir-fried bell peppers & green peas¹, gently mix well. Keep covered for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to blend. Baigan ka Bhurta is ready.

Garnish the baingan bharta with some cilantro and serve hot with roti.

Roasted Mashed Seasoned Eggplant | Baingan ka Bharta

Notes:

¹ Red bell pepper and peas are added only to put some color in a boring brown baigan bharta; they are completely optional and you can totally omit/replace/add other colorful vegetables.

² If you don’t have a grill (for electric stove top) or a gas flame or hot coal to roast brinjal, you can prick brinjal with fork all over & put in microwave oven for 7-9 minutes (depending on your microwave power).  Why should you prick/pierce the brinjal with a fork before placing in microwave?  To avoid brinjal/eggplant from bursting open and causing mess inside the microwave.  I know because mine once blew up inside.

Mashed Eggplant | Baingan Bharta | Brinjal Curry

Enjoy.

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