Baingan ka bharta is delicious smoky Indian eggplant recipe with fragrant spices and aromatics.
It is very popular in Indian cuisine and is had with rotis, parathas or naans. Try the stove top and Air fryer versions.
Plump large eggplants have almost exclusively been used to make baingan bharta at my place.
This is one simple recipe that can transform this bland vegetable to a delightfully spicy and tasty dish. It is also a very simple dish to prepare.
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Step-by-step Pictures
On Gas
Make gashes on eggplant. Insert some garlic cloves (optional)
Roast the eggplant on fire till they are charred on the outside and well cooked on the inside.
Takes about 5-7 minutes per eggplant.
In Air fryer
Preheat Air fryer at 200 C or 390 F for 4-5 minutes.
Apply some oil on the eggplant and poke with fork or make some gashes with knife.
Air fry for about 20-22 minutes till the eggplant looks squishy.
Poke with a knife to see if it is soft. If it is then it is done.
If you have larger eggplants then you may need more time.
Now take mustard oil in a pan. Put in cumin seeds and allow them to sputter.
Add onions and ginger-garlic-chillies chopped.
Cook for a few minutes till onions are transparent and slightly golden.
Now add the tomatoes and cook some more till they have released their water.
Add in the eggplant pulp and all the spices including salt. Mix well.
Cover and cook for about 5 minutes till everything seems well integrated.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Garnish with cilantro leaves. Your baingan ka bharta is ready. Serve hot.
Here's the recipe card:
📖 Recipe Card
Baingan Bharta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggplant or 500 gm.
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 tomatoes finely chopped
- 1.5 tbsp. ginger garlic green chillies minced or crushed
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. cayenne or as per taste
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. kashmiri chilli powder optional
- 2 tsp. mustard oil or vegetable oil
- salt to taste
- cilantro leaves to garnish
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Instructions
On Gas
- Make gashes on eggplant. Insert some garlic cloves (optional)
- Roast the eggplant on fire till they are charred on the outside and well cooked on the inside. Takes about 5-7 minutes per eggplant.
For Air fryer
- Preheat Air fryer at 200 C or 390 F for 4-5 minutes. Apply some oil on the eggplant and poke with fork or make some gashes with knife.
- Air fry for about 20-22 minutes till the eggplant looks squishy. Poke with a knife to see if it is soft. If it is then it is done.
- If you have larger eggplants then you may need more time.
To Make Bharta or Mash
- Let them cool and then peel off the burnt skin. Finely chop or mash the pulp (with the garlic if using) and keep aside.
- Now take mustard oil in a pan. Put in cumin seeds and allow them to sputter.
- Add onions and ginger-garlic-chillies chopped. Cook for a few minutes till onions are transparent and slightly golden.
- Now add the tomatoes and cook some more till they have released their water.
- Add in the egg[;amt pulp and all the spices including salt. Mix well.
- Cover and cook for about 5 minutes till everything seems well integrated. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves. Your baingan ka bharta is ready. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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Bhagyashree says
One of my favourites. Earlier days when we used to boil water for bath on those big pots, we used to keep brinjal beneath those pots. Needless to say the bharta made of those brinjals tasted awesome.
Each state has its own version of bharta. Konkanis have it without onion garlic and tomatoes. We use tamarind paste and hing and of course shredded Coconut. It has a different taste
Rachna says
How lovely to hear from you, Bhagyashree. How have you been? Your konkani version sounds so different. I've never had it made this way.
Nabanita Dhar says
I love baingan ka bharta. Mom breaks an egg into the mix and also adds little ghee once it's cooked. It tastes awesome! Ohh I also like begun bhaja with these large eggplants.
Rachna says
Wah, wah, egg in a bharta. I am sure it is yummy.
Shilpa Garg says
Bharta is my absolute favorite. Sometimes, I make a small slit in the brinjal before roasting and add 2-3 garlic cloves. The flavour is amazing that way. Once KG made bharta sandwiches and now it's a norm that leftover bharta will be relished again as a sandwich. 😀
Rachna says
Yes, I do that too sometimes. Sometimes I put cloves in baingan before roasting as well. Bharta sandwiches. That sounds nice too. 🙂
Shailaja V says
Tasty recipe! V does a fab job of this one ?
Rachna says
Thanks. Good to know. 🙂
kokilagupta says
My favourite too..Never got chance to try roasting on the coal fire..Waiting for that experience! ?
Rachna says
Whenever I do a barbeque at home, I try to roast bhutta and baingan on that fire. Yum!
Ramya says
I totally love this. But for some odd reason, my family dislikes the burnt flavour imparted. Is there a way this can be reduced?
Arti says
My mother in law makes it in the pressure cooker - no roasting . She chops the tomato, ginger , green chillies and eggplant , tosses it into the pressure cooker after tempering with cumin and cooks it this way . She doesn’t like the roasted singed flavour either
Megala says
Nice to roast the brinjal! Delicious !!
Soumya (@soumyaprasad) says
Strangely, brinjal is one of my favorite vegetables. I love the taste and the texture of it and the fact that it can be made in so many ways.
A baingan bharta is my go too dish when I do not have much time at home. I leave the eggplant to roast, while I go on chopping the other ingredients. So simple and so delicious! I love the charred flavor it come with too.
I haven’t used the stub until now, next time I’ll try that. I love this dish with some good old ajwain paratha. Match made in heaven, that.
Obsessivemom says
I love your choice of recipes Rachna. This is another one of my favourites. I love this roasted and cooked version of it. However, the Baingan Bharta I was brought up on wasn’t fried at all. Just roasted and mashed with raw onion, garlic, tomato and green chillies. My MIL adds a dash of mustard oil and it tastes delicious. As for ajwain paranthas they are delicious simply with some pickle.
Varsha says
Which brand Air fryer are you using? Please let me know which one is good to buy?
Rachna says
I have a Philips and a Balzano air fryer. I am happy with both. Philips is 8 years old now.
Gal Jerman says
Top ,.. top top ... post! Keep the good work on !