Baingan Bharta is mashed eggplant cooked with spiced tomato - a very flavorful dish. Traditionally bharta is made with charcoal roasted eggplant but I have adopted it to the modern kitchen. This is a very popular dish in Punjab usually served with roti.

Recipe will serve 2 to 3.

  * 1 Eggplant (should be big and fat)
  * 2 medium size tomatoes
  * 1/2 cup green chopped red bell pepper (capsicum)
  * 1 green chili
  * 1/4  inch piece of ginger
  * 3 tablespoons oil
  * Pinch of asafetida
  * 1 teaspoon cumin
  * 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  * 1/2  teaspoon turmeric
  * 1/2  teaspoon red chili
  * 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
  * 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  * 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro to garnish


  - Cook the whole eggplant (put it on a microwave safe dish) in microwave for 8 to 10 minutes until it is tender. If you are using an oven, preheat the oven at 400 degrees F and bake it for about 45 minutes turning the sides every fifteen minutes. Be sure to first put the eggplant in an oven safe shallow bowl or a cookie sheet.
    Let it cool and peel off the skin then chop the eggplant in small pieces and keep aside.
  - Blend the tomatoes, ginger and green chili.
  - Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium high and stir fry the bell pepper for about a minute. Take out the bell pepper from pan and keep aside.
  - Use the same saucepan with remaining oil heat the oil little more. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks right away it is ready. Add asafetida and cumin seed.
  - After cumin seeds crack, add tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili, and salt and let it cook for a few minutes until tomato puree has started leaving the oil.
  - Add eggplant let it cook on medium heat keep stirring the eggplant and mashing the eggplant as it cooks.
    Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes.
  - Add bell pepper, fresh cilantro, and garam masala to the eggplant and mix it gently.
  - Bharta is ready serve hot with rotis, parathas, or naan. Enjoy!


tags: vegetarian, vegan, pareve, Indian 

source: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2009/10/09/baingan-bharta-eggplant/