This recipe brings you a truly authentic Punjabi Baingan Bharta - a wonderfully flavorful roasted mashed eggplant dish. Let's dive in and see how it's made!
Jump to:
- Debjani's Note
- Baingan Bharta - Recipe Tips
- How to cook authentic Baingan Ka Bharta
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipe Card
- Related Recipes
- Pairing Baingan Ka Bharta
- North Indian Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
- Have you tried the North Indian Baingan Ka Bharta recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
- Here's the Baingan Bharta recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
Debjani's Note
I remember my ex-colleague, "N," teasing me after I finally nailed this recipe after four or five tries. He exclaimed, "The Bong girl finally learned how to make Baingan ka Bharta with peas properly!" You might wonder what the big deal is; after all, Baingan Bharta is a popular eggplant mash made in homes across India, though each region has its own variation. We Bengalis have something similar called "Begun Pora," but it's only made on Tuesdays and Saturdays at my family's home. I'll definitely share that recipe, along with a fun story, sometime. But for now, it's all about Baingan Bharta.
The truth is, a few years ago, I used to sneak bites from my Punjabi colleague's lunchbox, specifically for the delicious Matar wale Baingan ka Bharta his wife made. I just loved the amazing flavor!
I always raved about this Baingan ka Bharta recipe, convinced I could recreate its amazing taste and smell. Back then, my colleagues and I loved sharing our food and ideas.
After enjoying and making this dish countless times, someone finally said my Baingan Bharta had the familiar aroma of a Punjabi home, just like his wife's cooking. That evening, I even got a text from his wife: "Hey, I heard you're making proper Matar wale Baingan Bharta now!" So, that's the story of my simple, home-style Baingan ka Bharta, which I still make using the same recipe!
Baingan Bharta - Recipe Tips
This Baingan Bharta, a Punjabi favorite made in my Bengali kitchen, is a simple, comforting dish. While some add smoky flavor with charcoal, I prefer roasting the eggplant directly over an open flame. This gives it the perfect smoky aroma, which is key to this famous dish. I also like to add fresh green peas, inspired by a delicious Eggplant Bharta I had at a friend's house. Sometimes, I'll toss in a little red bell pepper for an extra layer of aroma, but that's completely optional. Otherwise, it's a straightforward recipe with just a few simple spices.
How to cook authentic Baingan Ka Bharta
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First, wash a large eggplant well and dry it with a kitchen towel. Leaving the stem on, cut two slits in the eggplant, one across and one lengthwise, like in the picture. Rub a little mustard oil all over the eggplant's skin. Stuff 3-4 garlic cloves into the slits.
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Now, roast the eggplant directly over a medium flame. After 2-3 minutes, turn the eggplant to roast the other side. Roast it evenly on all sides for about 10 minutes, until it's properly cooked. Turn off the flame and check if it's done by poking it with a knife.
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Remove the roasted garlic cloves. Keep a bowl of cold water nearby and put the roasted eggplant in the water for 1-2 minutes to cool it down.
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Take the eggplant out of the water and peel off the skin. Finally, put the eggplant flesh on a plate and mash it with your hand or a potato masher. I like using my hand for this part.
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Mash the roasted garlic with the remaining raw garlic cloves to form a paste.
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Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and fry them until they turn a light golden brown.
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Add the chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, fresh green peas, and the garlic paste all at once. Cook this mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 4-5 minutes until everything is well combined.
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Stir in the salt, red chili powder, and chopped green chilies, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
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Add the mashed eggplant to the spiced mixture and continue to cook over low heat for another 2-3 minutes. Cook until everything is thoroughly combined and the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. -
Stir in the chopped coriander leaves and turn off the heat.
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Serve the Matar wale Baingan ka Bharta hot with Roti or Paratha.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Baingan bharta is a healthy choice. It's a low-calorie dish packed with nutrients and fiber.
Besides eggplant and common ingredients like garlic and chili, you can enhance the flavor and nutritional value by adding bell peppers and green peas.
No, they are different. While they share similar basic ingredients, the cooking method and resulting taste of begun pora are unique. You can find a recipe for begun pora below.
Recipe Card
Matarwale Baingan ka Bharta | Baingan Bharta
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant/ Aubergine / Baingan/ Begun large
- ½ Cup Fresh Green Peas
- 1 Red Bell Pepper small Optional
- 1 Onion Big
- 1 Tomato Big
- 8 Garlic cloves
- few strands Coriander leaves
- 4 Green Chili]
- 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt or to taste
Instructions
- First, wash a large eggplant well and dry it with a kitchen towel. Leave the stem on, and then cut slits into the eggplant, making two cuts lengthwise and two cuts across, as shown in the picture.
- Rub a little mustard oil all over the eggplant's skin.
- Next, tuck 3-4 garlic cloves into the slits and roast the eggplant directly over a medium flame.
- After 2-3 minutes, turn the eggplant to roast another side.
- Continue turning it every few minutes to roast it evenly on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes over medium heat.
- When it seems ready, turn off the flame and check if it's done by poking it with a knife in a few places. Remove the roasted garlic cloves.
- Have a bowl of cold water ready and plunge the roasted eggplant into the water for a minute or two to cool it down completely.
- Take the eggplant out of the water and peel off the skin.
- Finally, place the eggplant flesh on a plate and mash it with your hand or a potato masher. I like using my hand for this part.
- First, mash the roasted garlic with the remaining garlic cloves to create a smooth paste.
- Next, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until they turn a light golden brown.
- Now, add the chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, green peas, and garlic paste all at once. Cook this mixture for about 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously until everything is well combined.
- Stir in the salt, red chili powder, and chopped green chilies, ensuring they are evenly distributed.
- Add the mashed eggplant to the spiced mixture. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until everything is fully incorporated and the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Finally, stir in the chopped coriander leaves and remove the pan from the heat.
- Serve this Matar wale Baingan ka Bharta hot with Roti or Paratha.
Notes
Nutrition
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing Baingan Ka Bharta
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Baingan Ka Bharta
North Indian Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
- Dhaba Style Chicken Curry
- Nalli Nihari (also known as Mutton Nihari Recipe | Gosht Nihari)
- Halwai Style Balushahi!
- Cucumber Raita (also known as Kheera Raita | Indian Yogurt and Cucumber Salad)
- Sukhi Urad Dal
Have you tried the North Indian Baingan Ka Bharta recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience, and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, X, and Thread. Don't forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
Here's the Baingan Bharta recipe Pin for your Pinterest Board
About Debjani Chatterjee Alam
I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.
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