Begun Bhorta — Bengali Eggplant Mash - Dumpling Adjacent

Name: Begun Bhorta — Bengali Eggplant Mash - Dumpling Adjacent
Ingredients: Ingredients 2 Chinese eggplants1 to 2 teaspoons mustard oil, to taste1 small red onion1 handful cilantro, plus more to garnish1 to 2 Thai chili peppers, plus more to garnish2 to 3 cloves garlic2 to 3 dried red chilliesVegetable oil for light fryingSalt to taste To ServeFlatbread of your choice, or warm white rice SubstitutionsYou can substitute the white or sweet onion for the red onion, and use regular eggplant instead of Chinese.For my mom’s potato version: Wash, peel, and boil 2 to 3 large potatoes. Omit the garlic and proceed with the rest as below. Mash the potatoes with your hands, but keep the texture chunky. Aloo satni goes well with white rice. Editor’s NoteMustard oil sold in the US is often labeled “for external use only,” but it is a common cooking ingredient across Asia. We recommend asking a friendly South Asian grocer for suggestions.

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Begun Bhorta — Bengali Eggplant Mash - Dumpling Adjacent

Ingredients

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Ingredients 2 Chinese eggplants1 to 2 teaspoons mustard oil, to taste1 small red onion1 handful cilantro, plus more to garnish1 to 2 Thai chili peppers, plus more to garnish2 to 3 cloves garlic2 to 3 dried red chilliesVegetable oil for light fryingSalt to taste To ServeFlatbread of your choice, or warm white rice SubstitutionsYou can substitute the white or sweet onion for the red onion, and use regular eggplant instead of Chinese.For my mom’s potato version: Wash, peel, and boil 2 to 3 large potatoes. Omit the garlic and proceed with the rest as below. Mash the potatoes with your hands, but keep the texture chunky. Aloo satni goes well with white rice. Editor’s NoteMustard oil sold in the US is often labeled “for external use only,” but it is a common cooking ingredient across Asia. We recommend asking a friendly South Asian grocer for suggestions.

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Instructions

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Instructions 1. Wash and dry the eggplants and slice the stems off. Pierce the skin with a fork on all the sides, and rub with a capful of mustard oil. 2. Char each eggplant over a gas flame or grill, turning it until it cooks through. Other options: Char the eggplant in a hot pan without oil. Once it’s blistered on all sides, add a bit of vegetable oil to the pan and cover with a lid to let it steam gently and cook through. Or: Air fry the eggplant at 350°F for 30 minutes, then add 10-minute intervals until the skin chars and peels. Or: Roast in the oven at 350°F for about 30 to 40 minutes until the skin chars and peels. Once you’re sure the eggplant is cooked all the way through (it will soften and collapse), transfer to a medium-sized bowl. 3. Slice the onion from pole to pole into long, thin slices. (This produces a milder and sweeter flavor, since it ruptures fewer cells.) Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices. Wash and dry a handful of cilantro and chop roughly. Wash and dry the thai chili peppers, discard the stems, and slice very finely. Set aside. 4. Toast the dried chiles in a dry, hot pan until the skin blackens to your liking. Remove the stems, then crush them up with your fingers or grind finely using a mortar and pestle. Be prepared to cough! Set aside. 5. Scrape the skin off the eggplant with a fork. When cooked properly, it should peel off easily in long strips. (You can also choose to keep the skin on.) 6. Fry the onion in a bit of vegetable oil for a few minutes, until translucent. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, then add the garlic slices and fry until golden. Add the fried mixture to the bowl with the eggplant. 7. Add the chopped cilantro, sliced Thai peppers, and ground dried chili to the bowl with the eggplant. Add a drop of mustard oil to your palm and mash everything by hand. Add more mustard oil and salt to taste (add mustard oil in small increments—a little bit goes a long way!) 8. Garnish with more chopped cilantro and whole fresh chili peppers. Enjoy with warm white rice or flatbread of your choice. Tester’s Notes“Spicy and yummy!” our testers report. If you’re worried about heat, choose milder and fewer chilies. Dumpling Adjacent © 2025 Dumpling Adjacent https://dumplingadjacent.org/begun-bhorta