# data[].attributes.body
Ingredients:

- 4 aubergine (thinly sliced)
- oil for frying
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 2 tomatoes (thinly sliced)
- 3 chili peppers (sliced)
- 6 cloves of garlic (minced) ... or 3 cloves + garlic powder
- salt and pepper (according to prefernce)
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 can of tomato juice
- 1 cup of yogurt
- Spring onions for garnish

Method:
- mix the yogurt with 3 cloves of minced garlic (or 1 tbsp of garlic powder), and add a sprinkle of salt if you prefer.

- Heat the frying oil and deep fry the aubergine (you can, alternatively bake them) until golden brown.

- In another pot, heat the tomato juice, add spices, and stir until aromatic.

- Layer the sliced onion, eggplants, and tomato slices on the tomato sauce and cover the pot until everything is cooked.

- Line a serving plate with the yogurt sauce, then add the aubergine with tomato and onion slices. Garnish with spring onions and enjoy the rich mix of flavors.

# data[].attributes.body
Ingredients:

2 Aubergines (cut into small cubes)
Oil for baking or frying
6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 small onion or shallot (minced)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup of white wine
1 can of tomato juice
2 Tbsp dried oregano or mixed Mediterranean herbs (oregano + thyme + rosemary)
salt and pepper (according to preference)
1 tsp chili flakes or powder (optional)
350 g pasta (I prefer Spaghetti)
Basil leaves for garnish and taste.

Method:

- Fry/bake the aubergine cubes until golden brown ... if you choose to bake them, coat them with oil first.

- In a deep pan, add 2 tbsp of oilve oil and roast the minced garlic and onion until golden, then add the white wine and leave it to simmer until it's almost evaporated.

- Add the tomato sauce, and sprinkle the oregano, salt, pepper, and chili flakes and leave to simmer until thickened.

- Add the cooked aubergine to the mix and let them absorb the flavor for five min. on low-medium heat.

- In another pot, cook the pasta in boiling salted water, then drain it.

- Serve the pasta and the sauce with Aubergine either separately or mix them in a serving plate. Garnish with basil leaves or coriander.

# data[].attributes.body
Spicy smoked aubergine dish, with tomatoes and onions

https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/baingan-bharta/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Baingan Bharta is a traditional dish made with grilled eggplants, onions, tomatoes, spices and herbs. If you love eggplants you got to try out this popular Indian dish. Simple yet tastes super delicious with a unique smoky flavor that comes from grilling eggplants on direct fire. Try out this easy recipe to make delicious & simply flavorful Punjabi Baingan ka Bharta. Serve it with Chapati/roti, Paratha or steamed rice. It also goes well with toasted bread, naan or just as a side in a meal.

About Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is an Indian vegetarian side dish consisting of a spicy grilled eggplant mash sautéed with onions, tomatoes and spices. 'Baingan' is a Hindi word for 'Eggplants or Brinjal' and Bharta is a word meaning 'mashed'.

So Baingan Bharta typically translates to Eggplant Mash. This is not any ordinary mash but has a burst of flavors that comes from fire roasting the eggplants.

Though it is said that Baingan ka Bharta originated in Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, it is also made across India with lots of variations. However the Punjabi Baingan Bharta is the most common one served in the North Indian restaurants. A lot of households also make this regularly for their meals.

If you ever ask an Indian how a bharta is made, you will hear so many different versions that will surprise you.

The simplest version is to simply mash the grilled eggplant and mix with raw onions, garlic, crushed green chilis, lemon juice and salt. This is the Hyderabadi style Bharta which my Mom always made and it tastes amazing.

There is also another version to which yogurt is added for a tang. So there is no one way to make baingan ka bharta.

The only secret for a good bharta is to follow the traditional step of grilling eggplants on hot charcoal or direct fire which imparts its characteristic smoky flavor to the dish. But these days a lot of people grill these on the stovetop, oven and air fryer.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe is roughly adapted from Chef Sanjeev Kapoor & over the years I have made it countless times trying out different methods of grilling eggplants including on charcoal. So in this post I share how to make Baingan Bharta along with 3 methods of grilling.

After cooking this for so many years, I can say that a good baingan ka bharta made with charcoal grilled eggplants don't need too many spices as we don't want to lose the real smoky flavor & taste.

The bharta that is served in standard restaurants is so much flavorful for the same reason as it is made with charcoal grilled eggplants.

However most of us don't have a charcoal grill provision at home, so we either prefer to do it on a stovetop or in oven. But these methods of grilling don't give the same flavors but somewhat close by.

So I prefer to spice up our baingan bharta with some garam masala. It's purely a personal preference and you may skip it.

How to Make Baingan Bharta (Stepwise Photos)

Grill the Eggplants

1. I usually use eggplants/ baingan that weigh around 450 to 500 grams (1.1 lbs). A little large or small is just fine. Rinse the baingan well under running water. Wipe dry with a kitchen tissue. Make 6 slits on the baingan. I check inside the slits to ensure they don't have any worms inside.

Push medium 4 garlic cloves deep inside the slits. Also slit a chilli and push it inside. Then brush a generous amount of oil all over the baingan. Garlic and chilli have to go deep inside else they burn.

2. With the help of a tong, place the baingan over direct flame or on a red hot coal. The flame has to be moderately high and not low. You can also do it in a Air fryer or oven. I have shared the pictures and instructions below for the same. For easy cleaning, line your stove with a foil. It will collect all the drippings from baingan & is easy to just discard it later.

3. Keep turning the eggplant to all the other sides especially on the bottom and grill well until charred.

4. When done, the skin of the eggplant is completely charred. The whole baingan becomes soft. Pierce a fork inside the baingan to check. The fork goes in smoothly if it's cooked completely.

5. Cool it slightly and peel the skin. Optional: - You can also put it immediately in a large bowl and cover for about 5 mins. Baingan will sweat and the skin will loosen easily.

6. Fine chop or mash the roasted baingan with a fork or a masher. Chop the grilled garlic & green chilies as well. This time mine had a lot of seeds, I carefully removed them and discarded.

Make Baingan Ka Bharta

7. Pour 1½ tablespoons oil to a hot pan. When the oil turns hot, add ½ to ¾ inch chopped ginger and 3 chopped garlic cloves. Saute for 30 to 60 seconds until a nice aroma comes out. I used mustard oil. You may use any other regular oil.

8. Then add fine ½ cup chopped onions (1 medium onion) and saute until light golden.

9. Add ¾ cup deseeded chopped tomatoes & ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook until the tomatoes break down & become soft. I used grilled tomatoes here.

10. Then add ½ teaspoon red chilli powder & cook until the raw smell of tomatoes goes away. This takes about 2 to 3 mins.

11. Add mashed grilled garlic, green chilli & baingan. You can use only half of the green chilies at this point. Taste test and add later.

12. Mix and mash a bit with spatula to blend everything well. We prefer ½ teaspoon garam masala as the eggplants are not charcoal grilled. You may skip it but read my tips & notes below.

13. Mix well and cook for 3 to 4 mins on a medium heat. Taste test and add more salt if needed.

14. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve baingan bharta with roti, paratha, butter naan or plain rice. It also goes well with some toasted bread.

Roast Eggplants in Air Fryer

The flavor of eggplants grilled in air fryer comes close to the charcoal grilled ones. You can grill the eggplants whole or cut to 2 parts. Brush some oil over it & keep it in the air fryer basket along with tomatoes, green chilies and garlic.

Place the basket in the air fryer and air fry at 200 C or 400 F for 22 mins or until done. If you cut it to 2 parts, then cut down the time to 15 mins or so. Sometimes I also use the smaller purple eggplants and they take just about 13 mins. Cool them and remove the skin. Follow the recipe as mentioned for the next steps.

Roast Eggplants in Oven

Place an aluminium foil over a metal baking tray. Cut each eggplant to 2 parts and make 2 slits on each part. Insert the garlic cloves and green chilies deep inside the slits. Place the eggplants & tomatoes in the tray.

Broil/Grill them at 240 C or 460 F in oven for 16 to 18 mins. When done, a fork inserted into the eggplant goes smoothly. Eggplants grilled in oven do not get any smoky flavor so you may smoke the bharta using a red hot coal once done.

Pro Tips & Notes

Choosing eggplants: Bharta is best made with large purple baingan that are firm and have a glossy skin. Avoid over-matured eggplants or those having brown streaks as they have more seeds. Eggplants with lesser seeds have better flavor, are pulpy and will have a smoother texture once cooked.

But after grilling them if you find seeds, then simply scoop them out and discard. You will be left with lesser servings of bharta.

Grilling: Eggplants grilled over hot coal get the best smoky flavor. Air frying them is the next best I have felt. You may do it on the gas stovetop or in oven as well. But the flavors are not the same in oven.

Grilling on gas: We don't prefer grilling on gas for personal reasons. However if you want to do it as shown in the pictures above, place a gas stove burner cover to collect the drippings. Also ensure your eggplant is at room temperature before grilling.

Spices: Eggplants grilled on hot coal have so much intense smoky flavor so the dish does not need any spice powders/ masala other than a bit of red chilli powder. But grilling them on gas stovetop or oven does not impart the same flavors. So garam masala brings a lot of flavor here.

If you are grilling the eggplants on charcoal, then you may skip garam masala as the original smoky flavor itself is so good.

Substitutes

Tomatoes: A lot of times I make baingan bharta without tomatoes. It does taste very good even without them. Add a generous amount of lemon juice to it before serving. Avoid squeezing the lemon on hot bharta.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Baingan Bharta Recipe (Eggplant Bharta) - Swasthi's Recipes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Baingan bharta is a North Indian eggplant dish made with mashed fire roasted eggplants, onions, tomatoes & spices. Eaten with roti

# data[].attributes.body
You've probably heard of Moussaka as a Greek dish, but did you know it is also a popular national dish in Egypt? Moussaka'a in Arabic means chilled, and that's why many Egyptians think that Moussaka'a is a hot dish that gets tastier after cooling it for a day (I agree). The Egyptian version is very simple and can be prepared vegan or with minced meat.

This recipe uses mostly ingredients that are in the Solawi basket this season (aubergine, bell pepper, and garlic) with some additions that are available in any kitchen.

Ingredients:
500 g Aubergine (sliced in thick round slices)
2 bell peppers
Salt
Frying oil
5 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 cup of white vinegar (Personal preference: you can replace this with white wine)
one can of tomato sauce, with pieces

Method:

- Sprinkle salt over the aubergine slices and let it aside for 5-10 min until the acidity is out, then squeeze it or wash it.

- in a pan, add oil to fry the aubergine slices on each side until golden (don't let it go to dark brown) and fry the bell pepper (poke it with a knife before so that it releases the steam inside).

- In the same pan, fry the garlic cloves until golden and then add the white vinegar and let it simmer until it's mostly evaporated; then add the tomato sauce (optionally with water) and let it simmer. Here you can add salt and pepper according to your preference.

- Add the aubergine and peppers to the sauce once it starts thickening, and then place the whole mix in an oven pot and leave it in a heated oven for 10 min.

# data[].attributes.body
This aubergine dip has a story. It's said that a priest called Ganoush was living in Syria long time ago and he was loved and appreciated by the community. They used to bring him food and gifts, especially meat. One poor guy couldn't afford to bring anything, so he put together the little ingredients he had in his house and made this dish for Baba (father) Ganoush. Till the day, the dish is popular in the levant region and Egypt and often eaten next to grilled meat.

Ingredients:
- 6 Medium sized Aubergine
-  Half of a small onion finely minced
-  Two small chili peppers (sweet or spicy)
- Finely chopped parsley (half a bunch)
- Finely chopped mint leaves (around 8-10)
- Three small tomatoes finely cut
- 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
- 1/2 cup of lemon juice
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt

Method:

- Poke the aubergines with a knife and grill them in a preheated oven (200 degrees). Take them out when they are fully grilled and softened, put them in a fridge to cool and then peel and grind them until it becomes a paste.

- Add all other ingredients to the aubergine and voi·là! you've made a Baba Ganoush.

Hot tip: garnish with pomegranate seeds to make it look fancy.

# data[].attributes.body
Something that characterizes Egyptian cuisine: keep it simple, let one ingredient shine. This simple recipe is popular across Egypt with variations, served next to falafel, fish, or other eggplant dishes like Egyptian mousaka.

Ingredients:

- Aubergines cut into round slices
- Salt
- Oil for frying/ baking
- Ground cumin
- Lemon or lime juice

Method:
- Place the Aubergine slices on a plate and sprinkle a lot of salt on top to get the acidity out... leave it aside until it is wet and squeeze it or wash it.

- Deep fry the aubergine in a pan until golden brown on both sides... for a healthier alternative, brush it with olive oil and put it in the oven.

- Place the aubergines on a plate lined with kitchen paper, sprinkle the ground cumin on top, and add the lemon juice. The juice's acidity should balance the bitterness of cumin and aubergine and add an interesting fresh taste. You can add salt according to your preference.

# data[].attributes.headline
Aubergine with harrissa and yogurt sauce

# data[].attributes.subject
Aubergine with harrissa and yogurt sauce

# data[].attributes.body
Ingredients:
- Aubergines (one per person)
- Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- Harissa (available in supermarkets ... quantity as preferred)
- Yogurt (estimate how much yogurt will fill your aubergine, normally half a cup per aubergine)
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- Half a lemon juice
- Salt
- Basil leaves or coriander leaves for garnish

How to prepare?

1. Heat the oven and poke your aubergines with a knife, then brush them with olive oil and leave them in the oven until grilled or softened from the inside. Meanwhile, ...

2. Prepare your harissa sauce: Add the butter in a pan, add (2-4 tbsp) harissa, and butter it for two minutes.

3. Prepare the yogurt sauce: in a bowl, add the yogurt, lemon juice, salt, and garlic powder and mix it all together.

4. When the aubergines are softened, get them out of the oven, cut them open on the longer side, and line it from the inside with the buttered harissa ... pour the yogurt sauce inside and add the garnish leaves.

Enjoy :)