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Our fourth-youngest sibling is at the Indian grocery store. She calls me.

“They have those small round eggplants, you want some?”

“Not really.” I respond, she can’t see the broad smile I have on my face.

“You sure?” she asks, again.

I laugh. “Why? Would you like me to fix them?”

She bursts out laughing. “Yes. I’m picking them up.”

I recall stuffed eggplant was one of Mama’s  favorite sabzis.  Years later, when she was in poor health,  I would fix it for her whenever she had a craving to eat it.

Eggplants are also known as Brinjal or Aubergine and are cooked in a variety of ways.

Bharwa Baingan (Stuffed Eggplant)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 8 small round eggplants
  • 2 medium onions (finely diced)
  • 2 large tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 4 tbsp cooking oil (to fry the masala mixture)
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil (to cook the eggplants)

Masala Mixture

  • ¼ tsp tumeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp red chili powder (or to taste)
  • 1 tbsp green cilantro (chopped)

Instructions 

Prepare Ahead

  • Wash the eggplants. Leaving a small portion of the stalk intact, make a crisscross cut at the rounded edge, splitting the eggplant into four parts held together by the stalk. Set aside.    

To Cook

  • Heat 2 tbsp oil in Wok or skillet.
  • Add the onions and fry onions till ¾ brown.
  • Add all the masala mixture, and fry for a few more minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté until they start to curl, and the oil starts to surface on the edges of the pan.
  • Pour the masala mixture into a bowl and cool until it is easier to handle.

To Stuff the Eggplant

  • Using a teaspoon, stuff the inside of the eggplants with masala mixture.  
  • Heat another 2 tbsp oil in the same wok or pan.
  • Add the stuffed eggplant.
  • Sprinkle about 3-4 tablespoons of water over the eggplants.
  • Cover and cook on low heat till tender, stirring occasionally, and carefully so that the eggplants don't break apart, until done. Approximately 15 minutes.
  • Garnish with Cilantro.

Notes

Goes well with a dal and rotis or tortillas, or dal and rice. I enjoy it on toast, too.
Variations: 
1. If you're pressed for time, just rub the eggplant with the masala. Sauté the onions and tomatoes, and then toss in the eggplant and follow the recipe.
2. Omit the onions and tomatoes. Add ½ teaspoon of amchur (mango powder, available at any Indian grocery store) to the masala. Then rub the masala and salt on the inside of the eggplants and cook them as per the recipe.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: baingan, eggplant

My husband has been transferred once again. This time to Agra. In true military fashion, there are no homes available for immediate occupation. We stay with a close friend and fellow officer and his wife. They have graciously allowed us to stay with them until we are allotted temporary accommodation. This was a recipe that I learned when we were with them. Thank you, Madhu!

About Agra—the city of the Taj Mahal! When I first saw it, I wasn’t that impressed as I had been fortunate to have seen so many beautiful structures all over India, old or older. And then, one moonlight night, we went to see it and suddenly its beauty and majesty sprang to light. I guess my daytime visits with teeming crowds and vendors detracted from it.

Years later, our family was able to revisit it and spend more time soaking up the intricacies of its amazing architecture and design.

Masala Baingan (Sautéed Spicy Eggplant)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
A delicious, nutritious way to enjoy eggplant!

Ingredients

  • 2 large long eggplants (or large oblong one. Wash and dice into one-inch cubes, unpeeled.)
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger (chopped, skin removed)
  • ½ large onion (semi-finely diced)
  • 2 large tomatoes (diced)
  • ½ tsp tumeric powder
  • chili powder (to taste or 1 green Serrano chili, finely diced)
  • 4 tbsp cooking oil
  • salt (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely diced, for garnish

Instructions 

  • Heat oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat. Add chopped ginger and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • Add onions and sauté for another 4 minutes until soft and starting to turn brown at the edges.
  • Now add the spice powders and stir for 30 seconds to stir-fry the masala.
  • Add the chopped eggplant. Stir a few times to mix the masala and the eggplant, then add the tomatoes.
  • Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the eggplants are tender. Uncover and cook on semi-low until the moisture evaporates and the oil starts to separate. Approximately 10-15 minutes.
  • Be sure to stir a few times while cooking so your eggplant does not stick to the pan and burn. The eggplant should be soft, but not mushy.
  • Add half the cilantro and stir to mix it in. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the rest of the cilantro.

Notes

In an Indian meal, vegetables are usually served with dal or a meat/poultry dish or both. You can have them with roti or rice. I just use them in a wrap sometimes when I want a light meal or  not feel like cooking a full meal!
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: vegetable, vegetarian

-Taj Mahal Photo by AussieActive on Unsplash

My small kitchen garden has been bountiful this year, and the eggplants have been in abundance. I decide I will fix Baingan Bharta. The first time I tried to fix it was as a newlywed. Chachaji (my husband’s Uncle) and his wife (chachiji) were coming over for dinner. Not to digress, but in India, each family relationship is defined with a different term. Chacha refers to your dad’s younger brother, and his wife is called chachi. Ji is added out of respect.

Anyway, I decided to fix the dish from a recipe. The recipe called for large chunks of onions and tomatoes, which changed the flavor and texture of the traditional bharta. Chachaji and Chachiji were gracious enough not to comment on my initial culinary attempt!!

Our son was not much of a bharta fan. He never ate it at home, no matter how much I tried to persuade him to taste it. Then, on a visit to a friend in the neighborhood, he was forced (Indians don’t take no for an answer when it comes to eating!) to stay for dinner. Low and behold, there was the dreaded bharta on the table! He said he did his best to look like he was enjoying it, but concentrated on the dal!! We laugh at the memory. He still dodges it to this day.

Bharta tastes good with rice or roti. It also makes a good filling for a toasted sandwich or as a dip with corn chips.

But you have to like eggplant, of course!

Baingan Bharta (Roasted Mashed Eggplant)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
A healthy side dish—roasted eggplant mashed with spices, and cooked tomatoes, and onions. Tastes good with roti, rice, in a sandwich, or even a dip with toasted bread triangles, wheat thins, or corn chips.  

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggplants (I prefer the Black Beauty variety—large oval shaped ones)
  • 2 large onions (finely chopped)
  • 4 medium tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder (or to your taste)
  • ¼ tsp garam masala (optional)
  • 1 Serrano chili (finely chopped, optional)
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
  • 4 tbsp cooking oil
  • ¾ tsp salt

Instructions 

To Prepare

  • Wash the eggplants and wipe them dry. Char them over a gas burner, broiler, or barbecue. Turn frequently and cook till the outer skin is charred, and the inside is cooked. About 25-30 minutes. The eggplant will collapse and get soft. This method gives it a wonderful earthy, smoky flavor.

To Cook

  • On medium heat, heat oil in a wok or deep dish skillet. Add the chopped chili, give it a minute or two for the oil to be infused with the chili heat, add your onions, and sauté for 5-8 minutes until half-brown. 
  • Add the spice powders (and the garam masala if you use it). Stir a few times.
  • Now add the tomatoes. Stir till all the ingredients are nicely blended. Approximately 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the eggplant pulp and mix it well into the onion and tomato mixture. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Uncover and add the fresh cilantro and garam masala. Cook uncovered, stirring a few times, until the oil surfaces on the sides. About 2-3 minutes. I usually add a tablespoon of desi ghee at this point, but you could add butter if you do not have desi ghee handy.
  • Turn off and let sit 5 minutes before transferring to a serving dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro. 
  • Tastes good with roti, rice, in a sandwich, or even a dip with toasted bread triangles, wheat thins, or corn chips.  

Notes

If you are short on time or unable to char the eggplants, use the microwave. Wash the eggplants, then prick them all over with a fork. Put them in a microwave roaster or if you do not have one, wrap each one individually in parchment or wax paper. Cook on high for about 5-8 minutes till it is cooked through. The eggplants will collapse and get soft.  Wait for them to cool, and then slice the eggplants in half.
Scoop or scrape the inside flesh into a bowl and mash the eggplant coarsely. It should be semi-mashed with no large lumps. Discard the skin. If there are too many tiny seeds (as in mature eggplants), remove them, but there is no harm if some remain. If you have charred the eggplant, wash the burnt skin under a running tap, pat dry with a paper towel, and then semi-mash to prep it. You can also cut it up into chunks and then mash it with your spatula/spoon while cooking, but that is hard on the surface of your cooking pot.
If you prepped it in the microwave and want a smokey flavor, you can smoke it after it is cooked using charcoal smoking or the Dhungar method (the Rajputs used this).
The Dhungar Method:
Take a small metal bowl and place it in the middle of the bharta in your serving dish. You can put a piece of aluminum foil under the bowl.  Heat a small amount of coal until it fumes and flames. Put it into the metal bowl and pour a teaspoon of ghee over it. Cover the dish quickly. Leave it for about 5 minutes, and then remove the lid. Stir the bhurta and garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.
I did try to use Liquid smoke once, but I'll leave that story for another time! Maybe it was the Hickory flavor. I probably will have better luck if I use a pure smoke flavor.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: eggplant, baingan bharta