At the very beginning of starting this blog, I shared the recipe of a Vegan Arabic side dish-Baba Ganoush. It soon became one of the most popular recipes on my blog. I have mentioned in that post that when I tasted Baba Ganoush for the first time, I didn’t like it much as I grew up eating a similar Indian dish- Baingan Bharta. Unlike Baba Ganoush, Baingan bharta is served hot, is a lot spicier, and is a main course dish. That’s why it took some time for my taste buds to accept baba ganoush which is served cold and is mildly flavored in comparison to Indian eggplant bharta. Though now I love Baba Ganoush, Baingan ka bharta is still my favorite, and today I will share its recipe with you. Even if you are an eggplant hater, I would highly recommend you trying this Indian style roasted eggplant dish once. In India also it’s one of the favorite vegetarian recipes of many eggplant haters.
What goes in baingan bharta?
To make Punjabi style baingan ka bharta you will need the following ingredients:
EggplantTomato: Use any juicy red varietyFresh cilantroOnion: Prefrably redGarlic: Generally, a lot of ginger and garlic are added to baingan bharta but you can adjust the quantity depending upon your taste.GingerMustard oil/ any other cooking like olive or canola oil. Don’t use coconut oil in bharta.Seasoning: Cumin seeds, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, turmeric powder.
Type of eggplant to use
To make bharta use globe eggplant or Italian eggplant. Make sure that the eggplant doesn’t have too many seeds.
How to roast eggplant in an oven for bharta?
Though the best smoky taste of baingan ka bharta comes only if you roast the eggplant over direct flame. However, if you don’t want to do that the eggplant can also be roasted in the oven. To do that cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Apply some oil on all sides of the eggplant. Line a baking tray with a baking sheet or aluminum foil. Place the eggplant pieces on it- pulp side down. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C (around 400°F) for 30 minutes or until the skin gets charred and pulp starts leaving the skin. You can also roast garlic along with the eggplant in the oven.
Recipe tips & tricks
More easy vegan/ vegetarian eggplant recipes
If you like eggplant and looking for more easy eggplant recipes then don’t miss to try the following links:
More vegan Indian recipe
Looking for more easy Indian style vegetable dishes? Do try the following recipes:
Step by step photo instructions
Recipe
