Baingan Ka Bhartha (Roasted Eggplant Curry)

Baingan ka bhartha. It doesn’t look pretty but this roasted eggplant dish that’s been sautéed in aromatic spices, packs in a ton of flavor. It is a bit time consuming, but the best things in life usually are.

This is the second recipe I'm making from the eggplants from our garden! It's so satisfying to cook with your own produce.

*Recipe*

- 1 large Eggplant

- 2 green chilis whole + 2 finely chopped

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 2 medium onions, finely chopped

- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped

- 1 T ginger garlic paste

- 1/4 t asafetida powder

- 1/2 t cumin powder

- 1/4 t turmeric powder

- 1/2 t red chili powder

- 1/2 t cumin powder

- 1/2 t coriander powder

- 1/2 t garam masala

- 4 T vegetable oil

- 1/3 c chopped cilantro

- salt to taste

1. Preh-heat the oven to 425 F. I don't have a gas burner so I'm roasted my eggplant in the oven. You can roast your eggplant over a gas burner if you have it.

2. Make vertical slits into the eggplant making sure not to pierce all the way to the other side. Into those slits, stuff the whole green chilis and the garlic cloves. Roasting them in the eggplant will give them a really great flavor. Grease the eggplant with vegetable oil and place on a baking tray. Roast at 425 F for 45 minutes and then broil for 10 minutes. You want the eggplant to be charred.

3. Let the eggplant cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel the skin and scrape the inside flesh and mash with a fork.

4. Heat up some oil in a pan. Once hot add the cumin seeds and when they begin to splutter, add the asafetida powder and chopped onion. Fry your onions with a little salt until they are brown. Not just golden brown, but dark brown. Stir occasionally. This will make the onions sweet and bring another depth of flavor.

5. Once the onions are fried well, lower the heat and add the ginger garlic paste and chopped green chili and cook for one minute.

6. Set the heat to low and add the powdered spices. Add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, chili powder, and coriander powder. Mix well and fry for about a minute and add the finely chopped tomatoes and cook on a medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until they are cooked.

7. Once cooked, add the mashed roasted eggplant and mix well. At this time you can add salt, garam masala powder, and chopped coriander. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes while stirring.

Serve with fresh rotis. A little bit goes a long way!