Baingan Bharta – Punjabi Style

Baingan Bharta is a dish I had heard about but never had as it being a Punjabi dish, it was never made in my house. I also had no clue how it was made, I only knew how it was not made, courtesy the movie Qayamat se Qayamat Tak. There is a scene in the movie where Juhi Chawla is cooking while Aamir Khan is out collecting firewood. She actually puts small quartered brinjals in water to cook it and then there is a conversation around it. That is how I had an initial introduction to the making of this dish J.

Now of course thanks to many Punjabi friends and colleagues, I know how to dish this out.

Ingredients

1 big purple brinjal,

1 medium sized onion,

2 large tomatoes,

1 cup boiled peas,

2 tbsps oil plus a little more for smearing the brinjal,

4 green chillies,

1 ½ tsp powdered coriander seeds,

1 ½ tsp powdered red chillies,

½ tsp turmeric powder,

½ tsp amchoor,

1 tsp sugar,

Salt to taste,

Chopped coriander leaves

Method

Make longitudinal slits on the brinjal and smear some oil. Bake it in an oven at 200^oC for about 40-45 minutes. Peel and mash well. Sprinkle salt.

Chop the onion coarsely and chop the tomatoes and green chillies finely.

Heat the oil and add the onions, fry till translucent. Next add the green chillies and tomatoes and cook till it turns into a homogenous mixture.

Now add all the powdered spices and sugar. Saute for a minute. Then add the mashed brinjal and mix well. Fold in the boiled peas and cook for a few more minutes. Add some water if required to get a thick consistency. Turn off the heat and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves. Goes well with phulkas and parathas.