How to make Baingan Bharta (with video)
Easy Indian recipe coming your way today – Baingan Bharta. Smokey mashed roasted eggplant cooked with tomatoes, onions, ginger, and spices. This classic Indian eggplant dish is absolutely delicious and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
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Baingan Bharta
Why you should try this recipe:
- This popular Punjabi dish is packed with vegetables, herbs, and Indian spices. It is a great way to boost your immune system.
- Easy to make. It takes approximately 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
- Is delicious, as your meals should be.
- Can be prepared in advance, great meal-prep for the busy week ahead.
- Can be enjoyed on its own or with some hot rotis.
This was the first time I roasted eggplant over an open flame and I must say it was much easier than I expected it to be. Tastes delicious too. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!!
Michelle
Fun facts about eggplant (or aubergine)
The hero ingredient of my Easy Baingan Bharta is of course…. the eggplant! Or aubergine as you might call it. Eggplant (aubergine) is a member of the nightshade family which also includes potatoes and tobacco!! And while we all consider it to be a vegetable, it is actually a fruit or even more precisely a berry.
Ingredients
- Large eggplant (aubergine)
- Brown onion, or any other onion you have in the fridge.
- Fresh ginger. Please do not substitute with ground ginger.
- Tin of diced tomatoes.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Cumin seeds.
- Red chili powder if you would like to spice things up a little.
- Fresh cilantro leaves to serve. We call it coriander in Australia 😊
Find the full ingredients list in the recipe card below 👇
How to roast the eggplant on the stove
Prepare the eggplant: Rinse the eggplant under cold water and pat it dry. You can optionally prick the eggplant with a fork in a few places to allow steam to escape during cooking.
Prepare the stove (optional): If you’re concerned about mess, line the area around the burner with aluminum foil. This can help catch any drips or juices from the eggplant.
Roast the eggplant: Turn a burner on your gas stove to medium-high heat. Using tongs, place the eggplant directly on the open flame.
Turn the eggplant: Every 30 seconds to a minute, use the tongs to carefully turn the eggplant to ensure even charring on all sides.
Check for doneness: The eggplant is done when the skin is blackened and blistered, and the flesh feels soft when gently squeezed with the tongs. This usually takes about 6-10 minutes, depending on the size of the eggplant. Transfer onto a plate and let it cool.
Cut the eggplant into bite-size pieces or mash it using a potato masher or simply a fork.
How to roast eggplant in the oven
If you don’t feel comfortable roasting the eggplant on a direct flame, or you don’t have a gas stove, you can roast it in the oven instead. It will take a little longer to cook through, but you might find this option a little easier. You still get all the smoky eggplant flavor:
- Preheat your oven to high, approximately 500’F/260’C
- Wash and dry the eggplant.
- Poke some holes into the eggplant, using a sharp knife. This step is very important as the eggplant might explode while cooking if you do not poke it.
- Place the whole eggplant on the oven rack or a baking dish and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Take the tray out, turn the eggplant around, using tongs, and cook it for another 15 minutes.
- Once the eggplant is cooked, it will be soft. You can poke it with a sharp knife, the knife should go through the eggplant flesh very easily.
- Set aside to cool before handling it. Once it is cooled down to room temperature, cut the eggplant lengthwise and scoop the eggplant flash out with a spoon. Proceed with the recipe.
The cooking time will depend on the size of your eggplant. A big eggplant will need a longer time to cook through.
How to make Baingan Bharta
STEP 1: While eggplant is cooling, chop the onion and the ginger.
STEP 2: Now your eggplant should be cool enough to be peeled and mashed. Slice the eggplant sideways, using a tablespoon scoop the eggplant flesh out. Try not to get the black skin. Cut the eggplant into bite-size pieces or mash it using a potato masher or simply a fork.
STEP 3: In a wok or heavy-based frying pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook them quickly until the seeds start to pop and are fragrant.
STEP 4: Add the chopped onion and ginger to the frying pan and fry it stirring frequently until the onions have softened and are nice and golden. Be careful not to burn them.
STEP 5: Add the roasted eggplant mash and fry all ingredients together for 1 minute.
STEP 6: Stir in the tomatoes and some water (1/4 of the tomato tin), and stir to combine.
STEP 7: Cover the frying pan and lower the heat to very low. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve immediately or later when it has cooled off.
STEP 8: Sprinkle with some fresh chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves before serving and enjoy! As you can see making the Indian roasted eggplant Baingang Bharta is easy.
Find the step-by-step process and VIDEO in the recipe card below 👇
❄️ How to Store
Refrigerate:
If you have any leftovers or are cooking the recipe in advance, simply refrigerate the Baingan Bharta in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the oven or in a frying pan until heated through and enjoy!
Freeze it:
You can also freeze the Baingan Bharta in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Defrost it naturally overnight in the fridge and reheat it in the oven or frying pan before serving.
Commonly asked questions
Unfortunately not. Ground ginger has a totally different taste. You can use fresh ginger paste.
Yes, you can. See how to roast eggplant in the oven in the section above.
Yes, it is 100% gluten-free as it is vegan and dairy-free.
This version of baingan bharta is not spicy. If you would like to add some heat to the dish, add half a teaspoon of red chilli powder together with onions and ginger.
How to serve Punjabi baingan bharta
- Serve it on the bed of basmati rice.
- Serve it with freshly cooked noodles. It makes a delicious pasta dish.
- Have some leftovers in the fridge? Spread the Baingan Bharta over the crusty, bread, and sprinkle some fresh cilantro leaves on top. Quick lunch. Yum!
- Blend it in a food processor for a couple of seconds to make a delicious dip. Serve with some gluten-free crackers.
More Indian Recipes You’ll Love
Have you tried this recipe? If so, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could leave a star rating and share your thoughts in a comment. Your feedback means a lot to me, and it can also help others who are interested in trying it out. Thank you! 🌟👩🍳
How to make Baingan Bharta (with video)
SAVE THIS RECIPE 💌
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Using a metal skewer, pierce the eggplant through as shown in the photo.
- Roast the eggplant on a low gas flame until the eggplant is charred on all sides. Please be careful not to burn yourself.
- Set aside to cool down a little.
- Meanwhile, chop the onion and the ginger.
- Now your eggplant should be cool enough to be peeled and cut. Slice the eggplant sideways and using a tablespoon, scoop the eggplant flesh out.
- Cut the eggplant into bite-size pieces or mash it with a fork.
- In a wok or heavy-based frying pan, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Cook them quickly until seeds start to pop and are fragrant.
- Add the chopped onion and ginger to the frying pan and gently fry them until the onion is nice and golden, stir frequently. Make sure not to burn the onion and the ginger.
- Add eggplant and fry all ingredients together for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes and some water (1/4 of the tomato tin). Make sure that all ingredients are well combined.
- Cover the frying pan with a lid and lower the heat to very low. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately or later when it has cooled off. Sprinkle the fresh cilantro leaves before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Preheat your oven’s broiler to high, approximately 500’F/260’C
- Wash and dry the eggplant.
- Poke some holes into the eggplant, using a sharp knife. This step is very important as the eggplant might explode while cooking if you do not poke it.
- Place the whole eggplant on the oven rack and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Take the tray out, turn the eggplant around, using tongs, and cook it for another 15 minutes.
- Once the eggplant is cooked, it will be soft. You can poke it with a sharp knife, the knife should go through the eggplant flesh very easily.
- Set aside to cool before handling it. Once it is cooled down to room temperature, cut the eggplant lengthwise and scoop the eggplant flash out with a spoon. Proceed with the recipe.
I love the smokiness of the eggplant. Thank you for the step-by-step recipe! Very easy to make and tastes delicious.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was the first time I roasted eggplant over an open flame and I must say it was much easier than I expected it to be. Tastes delicious too. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!