This easy baingan ka bharta (Smoked Brinjal/Aubergine Curry) recipe uses your oven to achieve the smoky flavor of authentic Baingan Bharta. This recipe includes step-by-step images and a short video tutorial. Tested for perfection!
Baingan Bharta – Smoky, Oven-Roasted Eggplant Curry (Easy)
Recipe for baingan, translated as brinjal puree, is a smoked brinjal curry popular in Indian and Pakistani (especially Punjabi) cuisines.
Traditionally, our ancestors roasted eggplants over an open fire or in a tandoor to char the skin all over. But you don't need an open fire or even a grill. You can achieve the same smoky flavor with your oven!
Of all the vegetarian curry recipes on my blog, this baingan bharta is my husband's favorite. Yes, even more than the zucchini curry, which is his recipe.
Ingredients For Baingan Ka Bharta Recipes
- Eggplants – select small to medium sized eggplants, weighing around 1000g total. Here's a quick guide to choosing eggplant.
- Ghee and oil – I like to mix both to get the fluidity of the oil and the flavor of the ghee.
- Spices – Too many spices can overpower the remarkable smoky flavor, so I like to keep them to a minimum. Similar to Sarson Ka Saag, Baingan Bharta does not need much spice.
- Green Chile – Adding the green chile towards the end preserves its flavor and adds a bit more heat. Both Thai and Serrano green chiles would work, although sometimes the Serrano can be too strong and spicy to add last.
How To Roast Eggplant In The Oven For Bharta?
Frying not only deepens the flavor of brinjal but is also the easiest and most direct way to achieve the smoky flavor of baingan bharta. This is how you do it:
- Adjust the oven rack so the eggplants are as close to the heat source as possible.
- Poke holes in several places to allow steam to escape. I always thought poking or poking holes in eggplant was an unnecessary step until an eggplant blew up on me (hard-earned lesson).
- Preheat your oven rack to High (550 degrees F / 287 C). Roast the aubergines on a baking sheet for about 30 minutes, flipping them in half. Frying the brinjal until it is completely soft on the inside and has a charred skin on the outside gives it the distinctive smoky, peppy factor of baingan bharta. Towards the end, a smoky aroma comes out of the oven.
How To Peel The Skin off Broiled Baingan?
The most important tip is to make sure you get as much of the baingan ka bharta recipe meat close to the skin as possible. (That golden coal is precious.) Don't worry if there are a few bits of black skin left on the eggplant. This process is a bit tricky but so worth it!
The eggplant will be easy to peel in places, where the skin is more burned and separated from the flesh. Whenever possible, peel the roasted skin off the eggplant instead of removing it.
How To Make Easy Baingan Bharta
Once you have roasted and peeled the eggplants, use a food processor to shred them. You can of course also use a fork or potato masher to do this.
Then make a quick and easy tomato and onion masala. Sauté the onions, then add the garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and spices.
After that, add the aubergine puree and the green chilli. Stir until the brinjal is fully incorporated and the oil begins to separate from the curry. Decoration and list!
Tips For Cooking
- After adding the aubergine puree to the curry, sauté again until fully incorporated. You'll know it's done cooking when you see the oil peeling off the brinjal curry.
- Baingan bharta puree absorbs quite a bit of oil. If you still don't see the oil separating after frying, add another 1-2 tablespoons of oil.
- Since the size and density of the eggplants will vary, I've included the starting point for the salt. If you feel like something is missing, try adding a little more salt.
No comments:
Post a Comment