Burning baingan bharta
02 Jul, 2007. 26 Comments. Leave a comment
A roasted aubergine mash with a smokey spicy flavour for when you fancy setting something on fire
Hubby and I woke up at the crack of dawn this weekend, taking an overland train to the middle-of-nowhere to collect our new car.
As I picked split ends in the back seat, the car dealer talked him though car controls, insurance and bodywork.
Snoresville.
In the house I was back in form, making a last minute meal for my friend who was visiting for lunch. I chose baingan bharta, a roasted aubergine mash with a smokey spicy flavour.
As the aubergines roasted on an open flame – messy but tantalisingly aromatic – my husband dashed into the study to tell me the aubergines were on fire.
Nothing like a bit of comedy relief.
The only tricky part about this recipe is making sure the aubergines are roasted evenly so that the crispy charred skin just falls off when you try to peel it.
I tend to make this when I entertain small groups of people so that I’m not roasting and peeling aubergines all day! Try it with a raita and some pulao for a simply delightful vegetarian meal.
This recipe serves 4:
2 large whole aubergines
6 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger
2 medium tomatoes
2 medium onions
12.5 gm fresh coriander
3 green chillies
Salt to taste
3 tbsp sunflower oil
Turn the flame up on high on two cooker hobs. Place an aubergine on each hob to roast. In the meantime, cut the garlic, ginger, onions and chillies into little pieces, quarter the tomatoes and finely chop the coriander.
Keep turning the aubergines using tongs so that they roast evenly. When the skin chars and splits they are ready to be turned.
When the aubergines are evenly burnt, take them off the flame and leave to cool.
Now bring a large pot with the oil to heat on a high flame. When smoking hot add the onion, ginger and garlic and fry until pale brown. If the mixture starts sticking to the bottom, add a little hot water and stir vigorously to release it.
Then add the chopped tomatoes, coriander and chillies. Fry for five minutes until the tomatoes disintegrate.
Lower the heat to a simmer and peel the aubergines. The skin will just fall off, and where it doesn’t, use a sharp knife to tease it away.
Add the two aubergines to the pot and mash it into the masala mixture. Raise the flame to medium and add salt now to taste. With a wooden spoon, keep stirring to make sure there are no lumps in the aubergine and that the masalas are evenly distributed.
Leave to cook for another 10 minutes until a taste test fires up your senses. This spicy recipe is great served alongside chicken tangri kebabs or some hot rotis.
Baingan once again. Wow! Nice results.
My version is slightly different making it a more baingan-y feel and taste by not adding garlic/ginger. Have you tried it this way?
vkn
I make mine almost the same way…just I add some cayenne as well! The beauty of this recipe is that it relies only on fresh herbs and aromatics, and no spices – not even turmeric!
And your husband eats the burnt baingan? Mine doesn’t
wow
last night a friend made me baingan bhartha and i asked for the recipe but forgot to take it and this morning… whoo hoo.
im psychic. how scary is that!!!
i have no open flame, only electric though and so might try the er… oven?!
Burning baingan? ha ha ha!
Haha, you never fail to make me laugh with your descriptions!
I just might copy this one, I love baingan, although I usually cook mine in the oven, 3kg at a time (no kidding)! I believe in bulk! 
cheers!
This sounds lovely! I saw another version with yoghurt, instead of tomatoes. Both sounds great. I shall have to try them when I’ve overcome my fear of flaming aubergines!
Hi… i was laughing so much when i read… “my husband dashed into the study to tell me the aubergines were on fire”, I make it the same way, except i mash them before adding them to the onion masala mix… i shud try your way, it probably is more chunkier…. thanks for the recipe…
Aubergines is on fire!!! Hahahaha…… It was a nice read.
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making it again, and experimenting with the other techniques mentioned here – thanks for the recipe!
What a refreshing site! I’m posting here because I can’t see any easier way to reach you.
Reason? Rick Stein’s recipe for GOAN LOBSTER using a GOAN MASALA paste. To some 12 tsp of ingredients, he adds FOUR OUNCES of RED FINGER CHILLIES. And uses 3 tbs of that for 2 Lobsters.
Not knowing what ‘finger chillies’ were – hence my search & finding you – I used 2 tsp of BIRD’S EYE chillies – all I had. Despite several years near ‘Calcutta’ in the ’40s, it blew my top!!
Could he REALLY have meant FOUR OUNCES?? Surely FINGER CHILLIES are not that mild?
= Tim
Hi Tim
Thanks for dropping by. Should you have any other queries, I am also on mallika@quickindiancooking.com.
Four ounces of red finger chillies sounds like a lot. But then Goan food is very, very spicy normally. Also, I am from Calcutta originally and infamously crap at stomaching chillies.
Two teaspoons of red chillies would have done my nut in too. Next time try half the amount. It will hurt you enough without killing you off completely.
The other thing is that red finger chillies are quite difficult to find in normal shops, unless you want dry ones, which every Indian corner shop should have or happily source for you.
I hope you ate the lobster anyway… would be a right shame to waste it!
Chrs
M
Twice replied to your mail address – each time returned. Oh, well!!
= Tim
I made this last night and it was absolutely HEAVENLY. Thank you so much for the recipe!! I used an alternative method for the aubergine, which I think you might appreciate — I cooked the aubergines over medium heat in a completely dry skillet until the skin charred and the flesh collapsed. Here’s a link to the aubergine method on my blog:
http://annmah.net/2008/09/15/dry-pan-eggplant-egg-cellent/
And here’s a link to my post on your fabulous baignan bharta;
http://annmah.net/
I also tried your aloo gobi with less success but it was my own fault — I got nervous and added too much water!! (Hanging head in shame). As a result, the cauliflower was overcooked and not golden.
Your blog is great and I’m going to link to it!
Hi mallika,
I have hot plate, so can I roast the aubergines in Oven. And also how to do that in the oven?
#Mukta
I rubbed the skin with oil, and placed it inside oven at 230°C for about 30 minutes..
after 30 minutes, it was done… skin was still purple ( but turned crispy)… it was pretty easy after words to peeling it off, as due to internal skin, the cooked Aubergines meshed gathered at the center, and skin was just like sort of a ballon…
Thank you , I’ll have to subscribe your site and read the rest I think. The first date my wife and I had nearly 20 years ago now was a lovely seafood restaurant in Napoli, so I’ve been spending ages trying to rediscover a decent grilled lobster recipe like we had that night – our anniversary is next month so I’m hoping to surprise her!
will love to try this recipe out Thanks for sharing … will like to add love your work
Hi mallika basu,
The post is great and easy!
the only problem i had in making the bharta, when i was done it tasted and smelled like burned eggplants and overheated, is that how its supposed to be or was there some error making it?
any reaction or tip would be appreciated.
thanks
Natie
Hi natie, it’s meant to taste burnt but I’d rather use the word chargrilled!
If you are a fashion play girl and choose to have options or change your colors using the seasons then the Classic stands out as the best choice this season, but if you wish to have one pair of ugg wall plug store boots that lasts you forever and serves you well in many situations you may want to invest in a set of Uggs outlet Ultra shoes or boots. It’s a bunch regarding techno-legal blabbity-blah, but the end outcome is, many of the sites you ought to be worried about are now not found on Google.
While i see the classic ugg Australia UK Sale boots at the first time, I know that it is my [url=http://uggsoutletonlineforcheap.com]uggs on clearance[/url] destiny to have the endless relationship with such a outstanding boots, since they are therefore beautiful and excellent that every other brands of boots can surpass it. I hope I could wear the best cheap ugg boots just about every days, every hours, every minutes and just about every seconds, so I always see the websites about classic uggs store boots sale.Since I am not a rich woman, I usually can’t buy things which might be so expensive, such as the public genuine classic ugg shoes or [url=http://uggsoutletonlineforcheap.com]uggs kids outlet[/url] boots. That’s also the reason why I enjoy browse those online discounted ugg boots sale outlets where I’m able to buy the cheap ugg shoes easily. I have bought a number of pairs of discount duplicate ugg boots online, and I feel that the caliber of them is great unlike the word of my friends the discount ugg boots online are poor-quality. No matter the materials helpful to make them or the services which is available from those online ugg Quarterly report UK Sale boots outlets, especially that discount traditional ugg outlet store boots sale [url=http://uggsoutletonlineforcheap.com]uggs outlet[/url] [url=http://uggsoutletonlineforcheap.com]ugg outlet store[/url] web shop, are amazing and wonderful that you desire to purchase one more two of discount ugg boots with there. Want much more specifics of discount ugg boots? Come to this on the net discount uggs Australia on-line boots sale outlet to learn more.If you want to buy this kind of discount ugg boots on the net, I must say that you’ll be so smart and so nice that actually there is nearly no difference between your discount ugg boots along with the genuine ugg Australia BRITISH Sale boots. Comparing other online price cut ugg boots outlet, this store is [url=http://uggsoutletonlineforcheap.com]uggs outlet online[/url] far more excellent and reliable that you could come to visit it first when you order something. Let’s go there in concert!
Hi all!
Sexy girls, without limits! you must see.
Free adult webcam: [url=http://forum.softpedia.com/lofiversion/index.php/t801253.html]click here[/url]
Red-hot online XXX porn videos featuring horny amateurish MILF The Set’s #1 Most Visited [url=http://www.livesexonline.com]live sex[/url] Video Gossip Community – Redeem Survive Screwing Video Chit-chat gratis sexkameror och coitus dygnet midget, alla dagar i veckan på Contemporary Sex … 123LiveSex – Unshackled Live out Sex, .. Physical Sex Online offers energetic snare cam performers that slip unconfined livesex via their houses all over the orb Free live adult Snare Cams and chat.Nude sex camgirls, teens, lesbians, voyeur, couples, unpaid video and chat Provocative webcam online get naked shows, shacking up shows, …
[url=http://www.montblancpensaustralia.net]mont blanc Brisbane[/url]
Another strengths created by these program is in fact which usually this item is definitely possible in the market to make these calls between terminals linked with different designer manufacturers, manufacturers and therefore most importantly, different os’s.
,[url=http://www.mbtshoeaustralia.com ]mbt shoes[/url]
Because typically the internet offers instant gratification adult men and women want it’s on to be convenient when it comes to them on to exploit as surely. This situation offers many different applications that hopefully will help you attain organized in addition to take care including certain tasks of your quick manner.
[url=http://www.nikehighheelaustralia.net]nike heels Australia[/url]
Discover your number one resource which often artists all around the world has been using that will help excite their customers, create cash flow and simply achieve more of the their art form here in front with this eyes from thousands relating to prospects.
http://www.nikehighheelaustralia.net
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]imex-broker-moscow.ru[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]таможенное оформление грузов[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]таможенное оформление товаров[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]таможенное оформление[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]таможенные услуги[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]таможенный брокер москва[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]таможенный брокер санкт петербург[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]таможенный брокер[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]услуги таможенного брокера[/url]
[url=http://imex-broker-moscow.ru/]услуги таможенного оформления[/url]
imex-broker-moscow.ru
Москва, ул. Верейская, д.17
(916) 669-14-16
(926) 070-27-80
[url=http://www.italiaipad.it]ipad 3 italia[/url]
Learn how to turn your unfavorable geared house into a constructive cashflow machine that pays you every week.
Cashflow give you choices
http://www.stopmortgagestress.com.au