Baingan Bharta/Roasted Eggplant (South Indian Style)

Baingan Bharta is a typical south Indian Konkani style side dish with roasted and smoked eggplants/brinjal/aubergines in a spicy raw coconut paste. It is one of the most popular eggplant dishes we love for its simplicity in making and the distinct flavor of smoked eggplants in every savory bite!! It is very similar to the quintessential Middle Eastern dish “Baba Ghanoush”.

In India, there are various ways of making roasted eggplant bharta. In the north, they are roasted over charcoal in a tandoor or over an open flame for the smoky flavor, peeled, mashed and then mixed with cooked onions, tomatoes and some distinct spices.

I have grown up making it Konkani style (from Mangalore in south India); the procedure for roasting is the same, but we do not cook the rest of the ingredients. Eggplants are roasted over an open flame (not every household has a tandoor), peeled, mashed or shredded.

The smoky flavored eggplant is then mixed with green chilies, onions, and coriander leaves/cilantro. A dash of coconut oil is added for the authentic south Indian aroma. A squeeze of lime or lemon and heavenly baingan bhartha, south Indian style is ready!!

After my marriage, I was introduced to another variation of this. Grated coconut is made into a coarse paste with roasted dry red chilies, tamarind and coriander seeds and mixed into the shredded eggplant.

A shower of finely chopped onions (red onions please!!), some aromatic ginger (grated or finely chopped), some green chilies (more the merrier) and a dash of coconut oil.  Mmmmm, sounds good doesn’t it? This is my husband’s favorite eggplant dish and so of course, this is what is baingan bharta in our house.

Once you make this my way, you will come back for some more!!! Do try and let me know in the comments below.

Let’s get to know how you can make it.

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Baingan Bharta/Roasted Eggplant (South Indian Style)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 4

South Indian style roasted smoky flavored eggplant in a spicy coconut paste with onions, cilantro and a dash of coconut oil. It goes great with rice and dal or any Indian flat bread like rotis, chapatis, puris etc.

Ingredients

• 1 large baingan/eggplant/brinjal/aubergine
• ½ cup grated coconut/frozen coconut
• 4 to 5 dry red chilies
• 1 small marble size tamarind/half teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• ¼ to ½ cup finely chopped red onions
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 to 2 green chillies/jalapenos, finely chopped (optional)
• Finely chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
• 1 to 2 teaspoons coconut oil

Instructions

1. Wash the eggplant well, dry with a paper towel or cloth and apply some oil all over the surface of the eggplant.
2. On a medium low flame, directly over the fire (as shown below), roast the eggplant, turning it over continuously on all the sides, till well roasted and cooked through and through. You can test it by pushing a knife through; it should slide in easily.
3. Once it is cooked and roasted well, take it out of the fire and place in a closed bowl for a few minutes.
4. After it has cooled a bit, gently remove the charred skin (dipping your fingers in water helps to easily remove the skin) and the stem.
5. Using a fork or spoon, shred the cooked eggplant to fine shreds.
6. Meanwhile, make the coconut paste.
7. Roast the dry red chillies in a saucepan for a few minutes on low till lightly roasted.
8. In a small blender jar, place the coconut, red chillies (cut into 2 to 3 pieces), tamarind or tamarind paste and coriander seeds.
9. Blend to a fairly fine paste with very little water.
10. Pour the paste over the cooked and shredded eggplant.
11. Add finely chopped onions, grated ginger, green chilies and salt to taste. Mix well.
12. Add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and mix again.
13. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice and dhal or any Indian flat bread like rotis, chapattis etc.

Notes

Use any type of eggplant you can find but make sure they are fairly large so that it is easy to roast them.

Adjust the amount of red chillies according to your taste.

If you do not like coconut, you can just add finely chopped onions and green chilies along with cilantro and a teaspoon or so of coconut oil and still enjoy baingan bhartha.

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How to make Baingan Bharta with step-by-step Method:

• Wash the eggplant well, dry with a paper towel or cloth and apply some oil all over the surface of the eggplant.
• On a medium low flame, directly over the fire (as shown below), roast the eggplant, turning it over continuously on all the sides, till well roasted and cooked through and through. You can test it by pushing a knife through; it should slide in easily.

• Once it is cooked and roasted well, take it out of the fire and place in a closed bowl for a few minutes.
• After it has cooled a bit, gently remove the charred skin (dipping your fingers in water helps to easily remove the skin).

• Using a fork or spoon, shred the cooked eggplant to fine shreds.

• Meanwhile, make the coconut masala paste.
• Roast the dry red chillies in a saucepan for a few minutes on low till lightly roasted.
• In a small blender jar, place the coconut, red chillies (cut into 2 to 3 pieces), tamarind or tamarind paste and coriander seeds.

• Blend to a fairly fine paste with very little water.

• Pour the paste over the cooked and shredded eggplant. Mix well and add grated ginger and finely chopped green chillies.

• Add finely chopped onions and salt to taste. Mix well.

• Add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and mix again.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice and dhal or any Indian flat bread like rotis, chapattis etc.

• Enjoy!!!

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For more eggplant dishes, try:

Spicy Eggplant Bites with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Vangi Bhaath/Eggplant Rice

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