Baigan Bharta (Mashed Eggplant)
Submitted by irishwheaty
Garlic-studded roasted eggplant mashed with fried onions, ginger, and fresh cilantro. Includes a tangy cold variation with mustard oil. Easy Indian side dish.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
20 minREADY
25 minThis is baigan bharta the way it gets made at home, loose and forgiving, with no fussy measurements.
You stud whole eggplants with garlic slivers, roast them until they go limp and smoky, then mash the flesh and toss it in a wok with browned onions and fresh ginger.
Chopped tomatoes are optional but worth it for the brightness they bring, and a heavy hand with the cilantro at the finish is practically required.
Want something even simpler? Skip the wok entirely. Mix the mashed eggplant cold with raw onions, ginger, tomatoes, cilantro, and a few tablespoons of mustard oil for a tangy, no-cook version that hits completely different.
Pro Tips
- Charcoal grilling gives the deepest smoke flavor, but oven roasting and even microwaving work in a pinch.
- Cut the long fibers in the mashed eggplant with a knife so the texture stays smooth and scoopable.
- Look for mustard oil at your nearest Indian grocery. It adds a sharp, pungent bite you can’t replicate with other oils.
Ingredients
Directions
Cooking the eggplant: Poke the eggplants (say 2, medium sized ones) with a knife, and insert slivers of garlic in the slits.
The eggplant can be roasted either in a conventional oven, a microwave, or ideally, on a slow charcoal grill.
When they are done (they become kinda’ limp), peel, and mash up the insides.
Use a knife to cut up the long fibres.
Seasoning: In a wok, heat some oil, and add chopped onions, and chopped ginger.
Fry until the onions are semi-browned, and then add the mashed eggplant.
Add salt, and pepper to taste. Season with lots of chopped cilantro (coriander leaves).
Since the eggplant is already cooked, you need not cook for long in the wok just long enough to mix things up good. A tomato or two chopped fine, and added with the eggplant also tastes good.
Alternative sesoning: Chop onions, ginger, tomatoes, and cilantro, and mix cold with the mashed eggplant, and a few table spoons of mustard oil.
The mustard oil gives a nice tangy taste.
Look for mustard oil in your nearest Indian grocery store.
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