In the original recipe, we roast the whole Eggplant on the fire and then peel the skin, mash it and cook it in spices…the taste of the roasted eggplant is awesome and you can replicate it here by roasting in the BBQ grill (but we have to warn you, it can be a messy affair).
Not everyone has a grill and not a lot of people want to deal with the mess so we have modified it so you can make it in the oven, compromise little on the taste and still look pretty once you are done cooking….
Ingredients:
Eggplant – 1lb (aprox)
Onions – 1 med., finely chopped in a food processor
Tomatoes – 4 med, finely chopped
Turmeric (Haldi) – ½ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsps
Salt – to taste
Frozen peas – 1/2 cup
Ginger – 1tsp, finely chopped
Garlic – 1 tsp, finely chopped
Asofoetida (Hing) – 1 pinch
Coriander powder (Dhaniya) – 2 tsps
Cumin powder (Jeera) – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1tsp
Red Chili Powder – to taste
Green Chilies – to taste, finely chopped
Cilantro – 5 sprigs, finely chopped, for garnishing
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees, rub a little oil on the Eggplant, put it in a oven-proof dish and cook for 1 hour.
- Once that is done, take Eggplant out, let it cool a little and then peel off the skin (it will come off very easily). Cut cubes of the flesh and keep aside.
- Heat rest of the Oil in a non-stick pan on Medium-to-High heat.
- After the Oil gets hot, add Asofoetida, Turmeric and Onions (in that order).
- Give it a good stir and let it cook till the onions turn translucent.
- Add the Ginger and Garlic and let it cook till the onions start turning golden.
- Add the Tomatoes and cook till the oil separates from the mixture…this will take a little while. Don’t forget to keep stirring, tomatoes tend to burn fast.
- Add Garam Masala, Cumin powder, Coriander Powder, Red Chili Powder and the Green Chilies. Mix
- Add the Eggplant cubes and mix. While mixing, the cubes will fall apart and become one big mixture. This is OK.
- Add the Peas and Salt, mix and cover the wok, reduce to Medium flame and let it cook.
- Once it starts boiling and the spices have all blended in well with the Eggplant and Peas, it is ready.
- Garnish with Fresh Cilantro and serve hot with Naans, Chapatis, Paranthas..
- Serves 4-6
Tips:
- Use a 1 or 2” deep dish for baking; the Eggplant tends to let go of a lot of juice, which can be thrown away.
- Garam Masala is available at any Indian grocery store or any whole foods store.
Watch and learn…
AAny reason the olor is more yellow than brown – howw can one make the color more brown?
My new husbands favorite! Thank you for this recipe!
Albina
Hi Albina,
We are so glad you and your hubby like it!
Happy Cooking ?
Love this recipe – I also add smoked paprika for that smokey, tandoori-esque flavor. Everyoen’s favorite!! Thank you:)
The easiest way to cook the eggplant is brown the skin of the eggplant on all sides over a flame on the stove. Takes less than 5 minutes. Then pop it into the microwave for 7-8 minutes until cooked through.Peel and chop. My dad taught me this and I always use it for my baigan bartha and babaganoush recipes. You get the smoky flavor without the mess/time.
by adding peas it’s look awesome…….
I am grateful to my sister for having introduced me to your website. Love all your recipes 🙂
Hello and thank you for all the delicious recipes with videos – helps to see that not all is so complicated,
Buy eggplants that are all of on circumference – narrow – so that vege cooks thru and blackens evenly.
For eggplants to get that full flavour i use japanese eggplant and turn them slowly over the gas flame on stove top – a bit messy but have some damp paper towel to wipe.
Keep vege whole – not cutting off top, and have a bowl ready so eggplant does not lose liquid as you are doing the rest of eggplants.
Let skins blacken – making sure eggplants get cooked thru. The blackened skin comes off in patches – not a worry.
The juices do seep out a bit but that means it is cooking nicely and getting that hidden flavour. I use a metal tongs to hold veges. I do not throw out the liguids but put in little jar and later add to soups etc perhaps it may be bitter but i enjoy the smokiness flavour in liquid
Hi,
I tried this receip this sunday..and it turned out very nicely..however the baingan had too many seed so it didnt look good. can you please let me know how i should select baingan for this receip.
Hi Miti,
Its sometimes difficult to find a good eggplant, without seeds. The more mature they are, the more seeds they have. Pick one that is not too large or too soft and the skin should bounce back when gently pressed with your thumb.
Hi guys,
Thank you for another wonderful recipe. I had a quick question about the roasting and storing of the eggplant for this recipe. Is it ok to roast an eggplant, skin it and store it in the fridge a day or two before one plans on making the bhurta? I tried it – and the eggplant seems to have turned slightly dark – do you have any thoughts on this?
Thanks,
Maggie
Hi Maggie,
There may be a slight color change but it will be okay to store it for a day or two. You can even freeze it for later use.
Hi Anuja and Hetal, refer to your site all the time- its brilliant. Would you have more Sindhi recipes, apart from the curry?
Hi,
Love the recipe and shortcuts and have made this numerous miss.However last couple of times while roasting the eggplant in the oven it burst and splattered all around. Would poking it with a fork before roasting help?Not sure why it happened ..could be too much water in the eggplant?
Hi Anuradha,
Wow! We have never had an eggplant burst in the oven :(. Poking would be okay but a lot of the juices may come out. Maybe just a few pokes on the top?
Ya I know! I was shocked too when it furst happened but it’s happened twice and cleaning the oven after that is a pain 🙁
It happened to me too! but it was not messy since the inside was intact….
Hi can you tell if i can use tomato purée for this recipe instead of tomatoes…
Hi Shobana,
Many Indian recipes are pretty forgiving when it comes to tomatoes. For this recipe, you can use pureed tomatoes…you just won’t see the red flecks of tomato as you would if you chopped them.
Hello
I followed your recipe exactly but the dish had a very bitter after taste. Why do think this may have happened? I have had this dish many times in restaurants and it’s never had this after taste. Thanks for your time.
Hi Wayne,
A bad carpenter always blames his tools – and this case you really can! The seeds in the Eggplants sometimes are bitter and unfortunately, there is no way of predetermining that 🙁 Always try to but Eggplants with green and fresh looking stems (top) and avoid the ones that are dry and darkening…
While I am writing all this – another thought – did you happen to grind the onions, by any chance? If you did – next time pulse in the Food Processor instead. Sometimes the blender breaks down/over works the skin of the onions and they end up with a bitter after taste.
The dish is not supposed to be bitter at all, try and keep the 2 things mentioned above and you should have a much better experience 🙂
Thanks….I will try these to suggestions.
The day after cooking it the bitterness mellowed quite a bit.
Hi Hetal & Anuja,
Tried this today .Tasted great.Liked it very much. Thank u very much.Please post more subzis for rotis which we get in restaurants, so that we can make it fresh at home & have them .
Hi Ladies
I discovered your site when searching for a hakka noodle recipe and have referred to it again and again since then(about three months ago). I am trying this recipe at the moment and I am sure it will be a hit like your other ones.
Big up from London, UK!
Susie
Hi Susie,
Thanks! Glad you are finding SMTC useful!
The recipe turned out great! I used organic heirloom tomatoes and it was sooooo tasty. Thank you once again for another great recipe!
Variation – I didn’t have tomatoes and peas. So I made this dish without these 2 ingredients and it still tasted GREAT!! Also, I added little bit of rasam powder along with garam masala (since it has cumin powder and dhania powder in it). I cannot stop talking about about tasty it was :->)
Hi R,
I could not help but smile when I read your answer 🙂 On numerous occasions, I have resorted to Sambar powder or Rasam Powder to give it the Omph factor 😉
Enjoy!
HI HETAL N ANUJA I DON T KNO HOW TO THANK U GUYZ AS U HAV
RELIEVED ME FROM A BIG STRESS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO ROAST EGG PLANT IN OVEN.UR METHOD HELPED A LOT N I M BACK WID THIS PUNJABI FLAVORED DISH .LOTS OF THANKS FOR THAT.
D ONLY FLAW IS I M NOT ABLE TO GET D LIGHT BROWN COLOR OF D BHARTA ,WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE TO ME N MY FAMILY .PL GUIDE AS WE DONT USE TURMERIC IN THIS RECIPE.
THANX IN ADVANCE ,ANXIOUSLY WAITING FOR D REPLY.
Dear Hetal and Anuja,
Thanks a lot for your great contributions for all of us who want to learn new recipes. It is really very nice of you two for doing this free.I can see your keen eye for detail and total commitment to quality cooking. I am an architect and I really appreciate your creativity in every dish you prepare. I also like the fact that you always acknowledge and thank your source for each recipe. I tried this one and stunned my in laws and hubby at home last weekend. Everyone appreciated me and all that praise belongs to you two.
Keep up the great work.
Love you two.
Padma.
Hi Padma,
What wonderful compliments! Thank you so very much for the compliments and for taking the time to write to us.
We are continually humbled by the responses we get 🙂
Thanks for making our day!
hi hetal and anuja
thanks for this wonderfull receipe u guys are doing a great job….
sneha
Which brand pan u are cooking baingan bharta in?
Peas are never used in original receipe.
I agree with Divya that peas are not used in traditional recipe. However, I like your version and am very tempted to try it. Last time I had this dish was two months ago at someone’s home(it was catered) and I had no idea that I was eating Baingan Bhurta. The color was red which I was not used too and the taste was nothing like what I ever had. I LOVED IT.
My husband loves Baingan Bhurta, will try your version really soon!
FYI: If some people like it creamer or softer, add some home made yogurt to it after onions and tomatoes are are done cookin’.
Thanks.
I tried this recipe but my came out to be bitter. I don’t know why??? Any suggestion plz.
Hey hetal & anuja
i tried ur baingan bharta recipe and it was really awesome. My hubby loved it. Thanks!
i want to give a toast to you guys for sharing this recipie and making everyday cooking easier and enjoyble for me….
i would be helpless without you guys…
Way to go
shobana
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I always make this dish by cooking eggpland on the stove ( treditional way) but after cooking i usually scoop out all the seeds and then use the eggplant. i didn’t see that step in your recipe so I was wondering do you cook with all the seeds inside?? when i take seeds out my quantity gets less so I usually make for 4 eggplants for 4 ppl..also I use green spring onin chopped instead of regular and that gives a nice taste ot it also..
Great recipe. Another trick I’ve tried is to use an immersion blender to puree some of the bhartha at the end. It gives it that creamy texture without any need for unhealthy additions like cream. Try it!
I just finished cooking this and it’s perfect. Your recipe is dead on. It’s terrific. Thanks for sharing.
This recipe is amazing.After having failed once at making baigan bharta on my own, this recipe was a blessing and a hit!
This was too awesome.. u gals really rock.. whatever i try from ur recipes turn really gud. luv u
I tried the dish by microwaving the eggplants after coating them with a little oil and piercing the skin with a fork so that the inside gets cooked evenly. You can peel off the skin after it is cooked.The dish turned out well and much less time consuming.
But I agree , you can get the perfect smoky flavor only by baking or holding over a gas stove .
Hi Aeroprof,
When we say “medium”, the circumference of the tomato or onion should be no bigger than the palm of your hand (without going out to the fingers). With tomatoes and onions in Indian cooking, a little extra or a little less will not affect the taste that much. Also, Vidalia onions are wonderful to eat raw on the side with some salt and lemon juice on them, but cooking them might make your dish more sweet than you might like. Unless you like your food on the sweeter side, try using plain yellow, red or white onions.
Can you give some more exact measurements for the tomatoes and onion? How many cups?
We have realy big onions and tomatoes here in Alabama so I am not sure what you mean by medium! One Georgia Vidalia onion can be huge!
Thanks – I love your site!
Hi Hetal and Anuja
You are doing very good job with all these recepies. I tried this last night and it turned out great. Thank You
Hi Sameer,
We would not recommend microwaving the eggplant. The key to a good baingan bhurta is the charred or smoky flavor of the eggplant. You could try the traditional way…hold the eggplant over your stove (low flame) and keep rotating it until it gets cooked. It could get a little messy though. If you do decide to use the microwave, then peel the eggplant and cube it. Put it in a microwave safe bowl which has a lid, drizzle a little oil to coat the eggplant. Cook until tender, then mash it. Good luck!
hey you guys are great doing a wonderful job of helping people watch and learn. well thats a nice recipe.. i am a foody myself. was wondering if we can microwave the egg plant instead of the grill oven. as i dont ve access to one here. could you tell me the procedure for the microwave. thanks…
Hi Guys,
This is my first week in the kitchen n i was dead scared of entering the kitchen as i have never been. I tried couple of dishes from this site, believe me it came out really good!!! thanks a ton to u guys…My request wud b,, pl do post more of dhals, roti r parata and curry varieties (more healthy foods)
I have told abt ur website to couple of my frnds in US, India and Japan.. yet to hear their views frm them..,
Thanks
sandy
With these flavorful recipes’ it will be much easier for me to be converted to being a vegetarian; “am so inspired” . Thank you so much
Great recipe one of my favourites, since having it prepared by a friend. Am so happy to have found this site being am in love with the flavors of indian food, “can’t get enough”; Keep the wonderful yet simple recipes coming.
I have always enjoyed this dish at Indian restaurants. I am so glad to have found this recipe! It is so flavorful without being oily and fatty! Your recipes and site are wonderful. Thanks for the inspiration and making my vegetarian husband (who loves Indian food) very happy! My one year old also is now enjoying your recipes. She loves the Pav Bhaji and the lentil soup! What healthy flavorful cooking for a baby!!
Incredibly delicious!!! Looking forward to trying many more of your recipes. Thanks ladies 🙂
Great recipe!