bagara baingan

Bagara Baingan is a flavorful, tasty curry made with small aubergines in a medley of coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, tamarind and spices. This vegan and gluten-free eggplant dish is a specialty of Hyderabadi cuisine and is often served with Biryani.

Bagara Baingan (Eggplant Curry For Biryani)

brinjals (- small-sized)

cumin seeds

turmeric powder

curry leaves (- optional)

water (or as needed)

salt

coriander leaves

onions ((chopped) or 1 medium-sized)

garlic ((peeled & chopped) or 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves, optional)

ginger ((peeled & chopped) or 1 inch ginger)

coconut

peanuts

white sesame seeds

poppy seeds ((khus khus))

coriander seeds

2 inch cinnamon stick (or 1 inch cassia cinnamon stick)

cloves

tej patta ((Indian bay leaf))

black peppercorns

caraway seeds ((shahi jeera))

black cardamom (- optional)

tamarind (- tightly packed and seedless)

green chillies (- chopped)

coriander leaves (- chopped (cilantro))

water (or as needed for grinding)

Heat a frying pan or skillet or tawa and roast the following ingredients on low to medium-low heat - peanuts, white sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, tej patta, black peppercorns, caraway seeds and black cardamom.

When the spices become a light brown and are fragrant, add desiccated coconut.

Mix and continue to roast the spices with the coconut. A lovely aroma of the roasted spices and coconut will fill your kitchen.

Roast till the coconut gets light golden.

Transfer to a plate and let the mixture cool.

Once the spices + seeds + coconut mixture cools, add it to a high-speed blender or grinder. Also add chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, coriander leaves and tamarind .

Grind to a fine and smooth paste with ½ to ⅔ cups of water.

Making masala paste

Rinse the brinjals first a few times in water. Quarter them and soak them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain water after 15 to 20 minutes. In a pan heat 2 tablespoons oil and add the chopped eggplants and 1 teaspoon salt. Sauté over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.

The brinjals should become fork tender. Set them aside.

Cooking brinjal

In another pan or in the same pan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.At this step you can opt to add ½ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji) and 10 to 12 fenugreek seeds.

Add the ground masala paste. Also add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and curry leaves.

Mix thoroughly and sauté the masala.

Saute the paste stirring often for about 9 to 10 minutes or till the oil starts to release from the sides. 

Next add 1.5 cups water. Mix thoroughly to get an even consistency. Add salt as required and the cooked sautéed eggplants.

Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes or till the curry thickens and you see oil floating on top.

Check the taste of the curry and add more salt if needed. Add coriander leaves and mix well.

Serve Bagara Baingan hot with roti, phulka, paratha, poori or rice or biryani. This brinjal curry pairs very well as a side dish with Biryani.

Making bagara baingan

Bagara Baingan is made by simmering small eggplants in a spicy peanut and coconut curry sauce until they are butter-soft. Serve as a side dish with vegetable biryani or scoop it up with roti or vegan naan.

Bagara Baingan

Indian eggplants

red onion ((finely chopped))

(about 24) curry leaves

mustard seeds

tbsp coriander

tsp cumin

cayenne

turmeric

garam masala

tbsp ginger garlic paste

tamarind paste

tbsp jaggery ((or sugar))

Salt

cilantro ((chopped))

onion

sesame seeds

fenugreek seeds

Make two slits, crosswise, on the non-stem side of the eggplant, stopping short of making a clean cut, so the eggplant holds together at the base. Immediately immerse the eggplants in water so they don&#39;t turn brown.

Heat four tablespoons oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplants and fry them for 3-4 minutes, turning them around to ensure they fry evenly. Remove the eggplants to a plate lined with paper towels and pour the remaining oil into a bowl or jar for use in another recipe. The eggplants won&#39;t be fully tender but that&#39;s okay. They will continue to cook in the sauce.

Prep the eggplants

To the skillet (after removing the eggplants and oil), add the onions and a pinch of salt. Saute the onions until brown spots appear. Add peanuts and saute them for another minute.

Add the sesame seeds and mix them in, then add coconut and mix it in too. Saute until the coconut has colored lightly. Keep a close eye because coconut can burn easily. Remove this masala to a plate. When it has cooled a bit, place in a blender with ½ cup water and blend into a smooth paste.

Make the curry paste

In a pot heat a tablespoon of the oil from frying the eggplants. Add mustard seeds and when they sputter add the cumin. You can use the same skillet used for frying the eggplant and the onions.

Add onions and curry leaves. Add ½ teaspoon salt and saute until onions are soft. Then add ground coriander, ground cumin, cayenne, garam masala and turmeric. Mix well and saute for a minute.

Stir in the ginger garlic paste, followed by the blended curry paste. Mix well, then add in two cups water and mix again. Stir in the jaggery and let the sauce come to a boil. Continue to simmer the sauce, covered, until some darker liquid pools at the top. This indicates the raw ingredients are cooked. It should take about 10 minutes.

Add the reserved eggplants to the sauce and mix in. Cover and continue to cook another 10 minutes or until the eggplants are very tender. Stir in the cilantro, check salt and add more as needed, and serve hot.

Make bagara baingan

Top 2 bagara baingan recipes from across the web

The most viewed bagara baingan recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Bagara Baingan (Eggplant Curry For ...

Bagara Baingan

Top 2 bagara baingan recipes from across the web

The most viewed bagara baingan recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Bagara Baingan (Eggplant Curry For ...

Bagara Baingan

The most viewed bagara baingan recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine