Baingan ka Bhartha

Fire Roasted Eggplant for JFI-Eggplants

Baingan Bhartha is one of the delicious eggplant recipes. The procedure includes roasting the eggplant directly on fire which may sound complicated, but it’s fairly simple. The direct fire roasting gives this dish a distinct smoky taste and aroma.

To begin with, you need one large eggplant. You will need to roast this over fire until it is completely charred. When done, the eggplant will shrivel up, the skin will change color, and will peel off easily.

You can do this either on a grill or in a broiler. If you do not have a grill or broiler, you may bake it in the oven until done, about 35-40 minutes. But remember, cooking on direct fire is what gives that unique, smoky taste of Baingan Bhartha.

I usually use the grill to roast the eggplant. But it was a rainy day here so I set up a temporary grilling contraption on my stove top. I propped up a cookie cooling rack over a burner with the help of two similar bowls on both sides to support the rack so that the eggplant wouldn’t touch the fire. Then I kept the eggplant on the rack and roasted on a medium flame for about 30 minutes. I kept moving it around every 5 minutes or so until all sides were evenly charred.

Once the roasting is done, let the eggplant cool and peel off the skin. Then mash it using a fork. Depending on how you like it, you may either mash it with a fork or puree it in a food processor. I like it chunky, so I would coarsely mash it using a fork. (If the inner part of the eggplant is still uncooked, just chop it into small pieces and it will complete the cooking later in the masala.) Keep aside.

Now, heat up 2 tbsp oil, and add ¼ tsp of cumin seeds. Fry it for about 10 seconds, and then add the following ingredients in order:

Onion – 1 medium sized, finely chopped

Garlic – 2 cloves, crushed

Ginger – 1 small piece, minced

Green chillies – 2, slit

When the onions turn golden brown, and the raw smell of garlic-ginger disappears, add

Chilli powder – ½ tsp or less

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Some add coriander powder too. I don’t.

Stir and cook the masala powders for a minute, and then add

Tomatoes – 1 medium, chopped

Cook until the tomatoes are soft and then add the mashed eggplants along with ½ a tsp of garam masala powder and salt. Heat up well, cover the pan, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the fire and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

If you prefer, you may add a dash of lemon juice or yogurt.

Serve with chapathi. Works good as a spicy dip or a sandwich spread too.

One of the best eggplant preparations! Even the so called eggplant haters will love it.

This is going to Jihva for Eggplants hosted by lovely Sangeeta of Ghar ka Khana!

Long Overdue Thanks!

Simply Spicy's Almond Macaroons

Jugalbandi's Khajur--Imli Chutney

Microwave Masala Peanuts from Aroma

Spicyana's Spicy Meat Puffs !!

Blueberry Tea Bread. Thank you Mishmash!

Thattukada style Kozhi Porichathu/Kerala Chicken Fry

Kerala Mixture

Thank you, Sumitha & Mallugirl!

Let's play! Can you guess?

Sauteed Broccoli

“I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.”

Do you know who said that?

I have never cooked with broccoli until I came to the U.S. Broccoli is one of the healthiest foods you can think of, and is on the list of cruciferous vegetables. So I wanted to add this wholesome vegetable to our diet, possibly in Indian recipes. But it didn’t take long to realize that I can very well mess up a sambar or a vegetable curry by adding broccoli to it. I was never happy with the results.

I was just about to proclaim broccoli as a disgusting vegetable when I found out that the little finicky eaters at my home love broccoli!! They like it with salt and butter or cheese, or with yogurt dip. Kids love it means I should stock it always. That means I would end up with a few extra crowns at times. That means I have to find out a way to use it up. Some way that adults also can enjoy it...

In this recipe, broccoli is sauted with onion, coconut slices, and other spices, sort of like a Kerala style mezhukkupuratti. I cook a few other vegetables the same way too. Kovakka/Ivy Gourd, Achinga/Yard long beans, Bittergourds etc. are examples.

Heat up 1 tbsp oil in a skillet, and add the following in order:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – a few sprigs

Onion, chopped – ¼ cup(Shallots are better)

Garlic, crushed – 1

Crushed red pepper – 1 tsp, or to taste

You can use a mortar and pestle to crush onions/shallots, garlic, and crushed pepper together. Cook it on a medium-high flame until the shallots are golden brown. Then add:

Coconut slices – a handful

Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp

Cook it for one minute without burning, and add the following:

Broccoli, cut up – 1 large or 2 small crowns

Salt – to taste

Cook it until the broccoli pieces are just done. Broccoli should not be overcooked. Broccoli tastes better when it is cooked for a very less time, and when it is still a tad crunchy. It shouldn't loose its bright green color. Americans even eat it raw.

Serve as a side dish with any meals. This tastes best when served immediately. It only takes about 5 minutes to prepare so chop all the ingredients ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Cook it right before serving.

How to cut broccoli
Who said it?
Did you know broccoli flowers look like this? Pretty!!