Begun Kalia - Colorful Eggplant
Submitted by pjmsleuth
Fried Italian eggplant simmered in a spiced yogurt sauce with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne. A rich Bengali eggplant dish (begun kalia) served with rice or naan.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minBegun kalia is Bengali comfort food at its finest.
Small Italian eggplants are fried golden and tender, then bathed in a warm, fragrant yogurt sauce bloomed with whole cloves, crushed cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne.
The yogurt clings to every piece, creating a creamy, spice-rich coating that’s equally at home spooned over steamed basmati rice or scooped up with fresh naan.
Serve it hot for the full aromatic experience or at room temperature as part of a larger spread.
Pro Tips
- Fry the eggplant in batches so the oil stays hot and the pieces crisp up instead of steaming. Crowding the pan leads to soggy results.
- Use full-fat yogurt. Low-fat yogurt tends to split and curdle when heated. Full-fat stays smooth and silky in the sauce.
- Toast the whole spices until fragrant, about 30 seconds, before adding the ground spices. That quick bloom in hot oil releases their essential oils and deepens the flavor of the entire dish.
- Ghee over oil makes a difference. If you have it, ghee adds a nutty richness that vegetable oil simply can’t match.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut each eggplant lengthwise into 4 equal pieces.
Heat oil or ghee in a pan and fry eggplant pieces until brown and tender.
Drain on paper towels.
In another pan, heat the 2 Tblsp. oil or ghee. Add cloves, cardamon, cinnamon.
Fry for ½ minute. Add turmeric, cayenne, yogurt and salt.
Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add fried eggplants, spooning yogurt mixture over eggplant.
Remove from heat.
Serve either hot or at room temperature with rice or Indian bread, (Naan, Roti, etc) or as a side dish.
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