Baingan Bharta Recipe: Punjabi Baingan Bharta Recipe

Baingan Bharta…….. yet another favorite recipe at home…… liked by everyone. The recipe which I am posting here is my mom-in-law’s recipe. Its a simple punjabi baingan bharta recipe.……. without the use of many masalas and spices. I simply love it.

I have made baingan bharta in this way and also by adding spices like turmeric powder, dhania powder etc. One thing, I have observed is the smoky aroma and flavor of the baingan comes out very distinctly in this simple recipe. Too much of spices sometimes spoil the taste. This is a personal liking and taste and in no way putting down the other baingan bharta recipes. Everyone has his/her own personal taste and choice and if you like the masaledar spicy variety of baingan bharta then please… please add your choice of spices.

Here is again a step by step method with pictures for making this awesome Punjabi Baingan Bharta. I usually use flash while taking photos as most of the recipes that I have blogged,  I have cooked for dinner. So, I have no option but to use flash. I am still learning the tricks of photography.

Even in daylight, I used to use flash for taking the photos. I was wrong….. this time the photos are taken without flash. I experimented and realized that taking the photos without flash in good amount of sunlight gives real, authentic feeling to the photos. For the first time, I have not used flash and taken the photographs in spare sunlight in my kitchen. They came our very well and I really liked them.

Ingredients for the Punjabi Baingan Bharta (Serves 2):

• 1 large eggplant (aubergine, baingan)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 green chili
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• handful of coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt

Method to make the Baingan Bharta Recipe:

• Rinse the baingan in water. Pat dry with a kitchen napkin.

• Apply some oil to the baingan and keep it for roasting on an open flame. Keep it turning on the fire after 2-3 minutes…… so that the baingan gets cooked everywhere and completely. You could also do it in the oven. But you won’t get the smoky flavor of the baingan if you roast it in the oven. ( My camera was shaking in my hand….. while I was taking this pic and it got a little blurred)

• Whilst the baingan gets roasted on live fire…. a small tale to tell ….

In Punjab, the baingan used to be roasted in the tandoor. Thus, as a result the baingan would get infused with the distinct aromatic charcoal flavor. This is not possible nowadays as we do not have charcoal based tandoors or charcoal burners in our kitchens. But if you still want to have that smoky flavor, my suggestion is to roast the baingan on fire and not in the oven and microwave oven. I have roasted baingan in the microwave oven once and the baingan bhartha did not have its peculiar smoky flavor and taste.

• Now since the tale is over and the baingan is still getting roasted……… in the mean time, chop your other veggies.

• When the baingan shrinks in size, its color changes….. and a lovely burnt smoky aroma fills your kitchen……… close the fire

• …. Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools down.

• Peel the skin of the baingan. Keep it on your cutting tray. Discard the stem of the baingan. The water that you see on the cutting tray are the juicy liquids oozing out from the roasted baingan.

• Chop the baingan into small pieces.

• In a kadai, heat up the 2 tbsp oil. Add the cumin seeds (jeera). When they pop up, add the onions. Fry the onions till transparent. Add the ginger and saute for till the raw smell of the ginger disappears.

• Add in the chopped tomatoes and mix it well.

• Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating. Now add the red chili powder.

• Mix it and saute for 30 seconds.

• Add the chopped roasted baingan.

• Mix it with the onion-tomato mixture.

• Saute for some more 4-5 minutes. Add the green chili and salt and saute for a minute.

• Your baingan bharta is ready… wait a minute…. there is one more final touch left.
• Finally add the coriander leaves to bharta.

• Mix the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta.

• Serve Baingan Bharta hot with phulkas, tandoori roti or naan. It goes well even with plain rice or jeera rice.

Few tips for baingan bharta recipe:

1. Sometimes, when we roast the baingan. it does not get cooked completely. This had happened with me when I first made baingan bharta. Some parts were half cooked. Don’t panic. Just chop the baingan, both cooked and uncooked parts. Add both of these to the onion-tomato mixture with red chili powder and salt. You will have to cover the pan so that the uncooked part gets cooked. Cook it as you would cook any other vegetable. Remove the lid when all of the baingan is uniformly cooked.
2. While buying the baingan for bhartha, go for the ones which are light. A heavy brinjal indicates that there are ripe seeds in it and this may spoil the taste of the bhartha.

Baingan Bharta Recipe details below:

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Punjabi Baingan Bharta Recipe

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Serving Size: 2

ingredients

• 1 large eggplant (aubergine, baingan)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 green chili
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• handful of coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt

method:

1. Rinse the eggplant in water. Pat dry with a kitchen napkin.
2. Apply some oil to the eggplant and keep it for roasting on an open flame. Keep it turning on the fire after 2-3 minutes…… so that the eggplant gets cooked everywhere and completely. You could also do it in the oven. But you won’t get the smoky flavor of the baingan if you roast it in the oven.
3. whilst the eggplant is still getting roasted……… in the mean time, chop your other veggies.
4. When the eggplant shrinks in size, its color changes….. and a lovely burnt smoky aroma fills your kitchen……… close the fire
5. Remove the eggplant and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools down.
6. Peel the skin of the eggplant. Keep it on your cutting tray. Discard the stem of the eggplant.
7. Chop the eggplant into small pieces.
8. In a kadhai, heat up the 2 tbsp oil. Add the cumin seeds. When they pop up, add the onions. Fry the onions till transparent. Add the ginger and saute for till the raw smell of the ginger disappears.
9. Add in the chopped tomatoes and mix it well.
10. Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating. Now add the red chili powder.
11. Mix it and saute for 30 seconds.
12. Add the chopped roasted eggplant.
13. Mix it with the onion-tomato mixture.
14. Saute for some more 4-5 minutes. Add the green chili and salt and saute for a minute.
15. Your baingan bharta is ready… wait a minute…. there is one more final touch left.
16. Finally add the coriander leaves.
17. Mix the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta.
18. Serve it hot with phulkas, tandoori roti or naan. It goes well even with plain rice or jeera rice.

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