Bangin' Bart
Submitted by rafael_alves
Bangin’ Bart is a home cook’s take on Baigan Bartha, the Indian eggplant and tomato stew slow-cooked until thick enough to use as a dip. A simple, vegan, one-pan dish with deep flavor.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
60 minThe name is a family nickname, but the dish is Baigan Bartha, one of the great eggplant preparations in Indian home cooking. Two large eggplants, two tomatoes, two onions, and a little oil: cooked low and slow until everything collapses into a thick, almost smoky-sweet mash that can anchor a meal or serve as a dip.
The key to this dish is patience. The vegetables go covered for about 30 minutes until properly mushy, then the lid comes off for another 15 minutes to let the liquid cook down. You’re looking for something thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon, not a soup. The recipe notes put it perfectly: thick enough to use as a dip.
Traditional Baigan Bartha typically starts with roasting the eggplant directly over a flame to get a smoky char before the rest of the cooking begins. This version skips that step and cooks everything in the pan together, which is faster and still produces a rich, layered result.
Clarified butter (ghee) is listed as an alternative to vegetable oil. Use it if you have it; the richness it adds to the base is noticeable.
Pro Tips
- Don’t peel the eggplant; the skin helps hold the dice together as it softens and adds texture to the finished dish
- For a smokier flavor closer to the traditional version, char the whole eggplants over a gas burner first, then peel and proceed
- Season at the end when the dish has reduced; the flavor concentrates significantly during cooking
- Serves well with flatbread, rice, or scooped onto yogurt with a squeeze of lemon
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of ground cumin and coriander with the oil for a more spiced version
- Stir in a tablespoon of fresh ginger and a clove of garlic with the onions
Ingredients
Directions
In a large frying pan, sauté the onion in the oil until it is translucent. Add the spices and stir for 1 minute. Add the eggplant and tomato, stir well and cover. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are mushy (about ½ hour).
Remove the lid and continue cooking until most of the liquid evaporates (about 15 minutes). The finished dish should be thick enough that you could use it as a dip.
NOTES: * Indian eggplant, onion and tomato casserole -- This is an Indian dish, called Baigan Bartha in Hindi. We make it a lot and call it “Bangin’ Bart." It is eggplant, onions and tomatoes, but not in the usual way.
In this recipe, the vegetables are cooked to mush, with only a small amount of tomato, just enough to flavor it.
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