Not Your Traditional Eggplant Punjabi (Baingan Bharta)

Eggplant + Tomatoes + Onions + Cilantro + Spices = Yum!

When Mom suggested we try our hand at making Eggplant Punjabi (Baingan Bharta) I was a little hesitant. Whenever making a new dish that’s outside of my culture I always feel a little nervous because I want to show respect to the dish and make it properly. I got more nervous when she pulled out the 7+ spices used for the dish, because well, that’s a lot of spices! But to my relief and hopefully yours, this dish was actually fairly easy to make and it was so tasty. I highly recommend this dish if you love Indian food or you love eggplant.

It’s also fun to make with another person. While Mom worked on the eggplant, onion and tomato, I was measuring out the spices and chopping the cilantro. Then we both peeled the eggplants after they cooked in the oven. Team work!

-Rebel

Taste Test Kitchen

The trick is patience. The first few times I made this dish – and I tried several different recipes – I didn’t allow the eggplant to fully cook in the oven. Then it took longer to cook in the skillet and come together. My daughter Elyse and I still remember standing over the skillet, willing the eggplant to cook faster. I’ll be glad to make this for her soon.

Other than making sure to broil it long enough, there’s a lot of chopping of vegetables and measuring of spices, but really, the recipe is easy to make. You can adjust the spices to your taste, which is part of the fun. If you don’t have all the spices, it’s ok to leave out a few. See the recipe notes for suggestions.

For extra layers of flavor, we added green chiles to the traditional recipe as well as shallots.

~ Lee

print recipe

A Twist on the Traditional Eggplant Punjabi

by Burnt Toast Food Blog January-11-2019

A healthy side dish for dinner, this variation on Punjabi eggplant (Baingan Bharta) is full of aromatic spices. Our recipe adds shallots and green chiles into the mix of traditional ingredients.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Japanese eggplant (3 large)
• olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 2 large shallots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 medium tomatoes
• Spices:
• 1 teaspoon chile powder
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, mild
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Turn on the broiler. 1. Rinse and pat dry the eggplant. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Broil for 10-12 minutes, turning with tongs, until fork tender. Wrap in foil or seal in a plastic bag and let rest about 10 minutes. 2. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the eggplant. Set aside. 3. While the eggplant is roasting, dice the onions and shallots. Mince the garlic. Chop the tomatoes. 4. In a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil until hot but not smoking. Sauté the onion for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shallots and continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. 5. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute. 6. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and the eggplant. Mash with a potato masher to break up the vegetables more. 7. Add the chile powder, coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Add the green chiles. 8. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. If the mixture seems too dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. 9. Taste and adjust the seasonings. When ready to serve, turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro. Notes: - As an option, substitute 1/4 teaspoon cardamom for the garam masala. Cumin seed and/or turmeric can be omitted.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 8 servings

Have you tried making Eggplant Punjabi before? Let us know if you have questions or suggestions.