Baghare Baingan

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

My attraction with brinjals began with the serial Baingan raja. That was a kid special show usually aired on national channel. I was a school going kid that time and used to love the title song of that show. " Jhug jhug jiyo mere baingan raja. Raj tumhara sabse pyara. Jhug jhug jiyo mere baingan raja." I started loving brinjals during that time itself. And to add to it my mom used to say that baingan bharta was my nana's favorite dish. And thats why that became mine favorite too. Although I've never seen my nana but I love him very much. After baingan bharta I loved brinjal fries that mom used to make usually during ramzan iftaaris. I would eat only these two preparations of brinjals otherwise I wouldn't even touch it.

I accidently came across this recipe of baghare baingan. Some 3 - 4 years back we had visited some acquaintance in Hyderabad. That was the first time we were visiting that city. There I tasted karela ka khatta and loved it soo much.. After coming back to mumbai I surfed for an authentic recipe but couldn't get any. But however I got this recipe on fauzia pakistani's website. Its an amazing recipe and I love to eat it with rice any time of the day. I even have it in the evening just before tea..

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Brinjals = 1/2 kg, tender, round and small

Onions = 2 medium, sliced

Red chillies = 5

Tamarind extract = 2 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste = 1 tblspn

Peanuts = 2 tbsp

Grated coconut = 2 tbsp

Sesame seeds = 2 tbsp

Cumin-coriander powder = 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder = 1 tbsp (or as per taste)

Turmeric powder = 1/2 tsp

Cooking oil = 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash the brinjals, cut the stem, leaving the canopy in place and cut 3/4 of the lengthof each brinjal into a criss cross, leaving the attached at the other end.

2. Heat 2 tblspn of oil in a thick wide pan and add the brinjals. Sprinkle some salt and leave the brinjals to cook until well done and soft.

3. In the meantime roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut and red chillies. 

4. Heat oil in a pan. Roast the sliced onions till brown.

5. Add some water and blend all the ingredients into fine thick paste.

6. In a pan, add cook the paste for sometime. Add water if the paste is too very thick. Add salt.

7. After a while add the tamarind extract and cook till the raw smell of tamarind is gone.

8. Add the cooked brinjals and cook on a low flame until oil seperates.

9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Brinjals cut in criss-cross manner.

Sending this to Healing Foods - Eggplant hosted by Kavita and the event started by Siri