Baingan Bharta - a simple and delicious vegan eggplant dish. The classic recipe from North India will surely find a place in your weekly meal-plan routine.
1/2tspof chili powderif you would like to spice things up a little
Fresh coriander leaves to serve
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!
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.