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Aubergine

Onion

Tomatoes

Garlic

Green Chilli

Red Chilli Powder

Oil

Coriander Leaves

salt

Instructions

• Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water.
• Pat dry with a kitchen napkin.
• Apply some oil all over and keep it for roasting on an open flame.
• You can also grill the baingan or roast in the oven.
• But then you won't get the smoky flavor of the baingan.
• Keep the eggplant turning after a 2 to 3 minutes on the flame, so that its evenly cooked.
• You could also embed some garlic cloves in the baingan and then roast it.
• 2.
• Roast the aubergine till its completely cooked and tender.
• With a knife check the doneness.
• The knife should slid easily in aubergines without any resistance.
• Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools down.
• 3.
• You can also do the dhungar technique of infusing charcoal smoky flavor in the baingan.
• This is an optional step.
• Use natural charcoal for this method.
• Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes smoking hot and red.
• 4.
• Make small cuts on the baingan with a knife.
• Place the red hot charcoal in the same plate where the roasted aubergine is kept.
• Add a few drops of oil on the charcoal.
• The charcoal would begin to smoke.
• 5.
• As soon as smoke begins to release from the charcoal, cover the entire plate tightly with a large bowl.
• Allow the charcoal smoke to get infused for 1 to 2 minutes.
• The more you do, the more smoky the baingan bharta will become.
• I just keep for a minute.
• Alternatively, you can also do this dhungar method once the baingan bharta is cooked, just like the way we do for Dal Tadka.
• 6.
• Peel the skin from the roasted and smoked eggplant.
• 7.
• Chop the cooked eggplant finely or you can even mash it.
• 8.
• In a kadai or pan, heat oil.
• Then add finely chopped onions and garlic.
• 9.
• Saute the onions till translucent.
• Don't brown them.
• 10.
• Add chopped green chilies and saute for a minute.
• 11.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well.
• 12.
• Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating from the mixture.
• 13.
• Now add the red chili powder.
• Stir and mix well.
• 14.
• Add the chopped cooked baingan.
• 15.
• Stir and mix the chopped baingan very well with the onion­tomato masala mixture.
• 16.
• Season with salt.
• Stir and saute for some more 4 to 5 minutes more.
• 17.
• Finally stir in the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta or garnish it with them.
• Serve Baingan Bharta with phulkas, rotis or chapatis.
• It goes well even with bread, toasted or grilled bread and plain rice or jeera rice.