Baingan ka Bharta is a North Indian dish made with fire-roasted eggplant, mashed and cooked with onion, tomato, garlic, and spices. The smoky flavor comes from roasting the eggplant directly over a flame, which adds an authentic flavor. Serve it with roti or paratha for a hearty meal.
Being born into a Punjabi family means growing up with a strong relationship with food. Baingan Bharta was something I ate more like a snack than a vegetable. It may sound strange, but my mother would make it for lunch, and I would almost finish it on its own, without any sides.
Some days, she would send me to the nearby tandoor to get the eggplant roasted, and that bharta always tasted the best. Winter mornings filled with the aroma of smoky baingan meant it was going to be the best lunchbox at school, and one you quietly guarded from others.
Baingan is the Hindi word for eggplant. My version of Bharta's recipe is very similar to my mom's. There are several variations, but the most popular is Punjabi Bharta, which means no turmeric powder is added and is made in ghee. Vegans can swap it with any choice of cooking oil.
If you wish to save time, you may roast eggplant in the oven, grill it, or air fry it. You may also like air-fried eggplant fritters.
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Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements of the ingredients.
- Eggplant (Baingan)- Use a little large baingan that weigh around 400-500 grams. Small sized baingans or long sized don't work well for this recipe.
- Fresh Green Peas- can swap with frozen peas.
- Onion, Garlic, Green Chili, Tomato
- Ghee for Tempering and mustard oil for coating baingan.
- Spices- cumin seeds, red chili powder, coriander powder, amchoor, garam masala.
- Salt
- Cilantro- coriander leaves for garnishing.
How To Make Baingan Bharta
Step 1. Roast the Eggplant
Wash and dry baingan. Apply mustard oil with your hands to the eggplant to coat well. Use a wire mesh roasting rack over the gas stove to roast eggplant.
It takes about 15-20 minutes to roast. You will know it's done when the skin is completely charred, and the flesh feels soft when pressed. Eggplant releases a mix of oil and water, too. So, the burner and stove need to be cleaned later.
Tip
This step needs attention, as the eggplant has to be turned to roast evenly over direct flame. Use kitchen tongs to handle it safely. If you are new to this, you can roast the eggplant in an oven or air fryer instead.
Step 2. Prep Tadka for Bharta
While baingan is roasted, you may chop onions, green chilies, tomatoes and grate garlic.
Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed wok or kadai, add green chilies, garlic, cumin seeds, and onions. Roast till onions are browned. Add tomatoes, green peas, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cook on a slow flame till the tomatoes are completely mashed.
Step 3. Add Roasted Baingan
Add mashed and roasted baingan to the onion tomato tadka and cook on a slow flame for 7-10 minutes. The baingan should mix really well and should not stand out in the wok.
Step 4. Serve It
Top Baingan bharta with fresh coriander leaves and serve it with roti or paratha!
Roast Eggplants in Air Fryer
You may roast eggplant, onion, and tomato all at one go (after coating with mustard oil) in an airfryer at 200 deg C for about 20 minutes or until done. You might not get the same smoky flavor.
Expert Tips
- Roast the eggplant directly over a full flame for the smoky taste. Turn it often so the skin chars evenly from all sides. The eggplant is ready when the skin is fully blackened and the fork goes smoothly in it.
- After roasting, place the hot eggplant in a bowl of water for a minute. This helps loosen the charred skin and makes peeling easier.
- The leftovers can be store in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
Recipe FAQs
Baingan is eggplant and bharta means mashed up. Baingan bharta has a smoky and spicy flavor.
Yes, the Punjabi recipe uses fresh green chilies that make it hot.
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Baingan Bharta Recipe (Eggplant Bharta)
Equipment
- heavy bottomed wok
- wire mesh roasting rack
Ingredients
- 2 large Eggplant Baingan
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Green Peas
- 3 small Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 piece Green Chili adjust the heat
- 2 medium Tomato
- 1.5 tablespoon Ghee for Tempering
- 1 teaspoon Mustard oil for coating baingan before roasting
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon amchoor
- 1 teaspoon garam masala.
- Salt as per taste
- Cilantro coriander leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash and dry baingan. Apply mustard oil with your hands to the eggplant to coat well. Use a wire mesh roasting rack over the gas stove to roast eggplant.
- It takes about 15-20 minutes to roast. You will know it's done when the skin is completely charred, and the flesh feels soft when pressed. Eggplant releases a mix of oil and water, too. So, the burner and stove need to be cleaned later.
- This step needs attention, as the eggplant has to be turned to roast evenly over direct flame. Use kitchen tongs to handle it safely. If you are new to this, you can roast the eggplant in an oven or air fryer instead.
- While baingan is roasted, you may chop onions, green chilies, tomatoes and grate garlic.
- Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed wok or kadai, add green chilies, garlic, cumin seeds, and onions. Roast till onions are browned. Add tomatoes, green peas, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cook on a slow flame till the tomatoes are completely mashed.
- Add mashed and roasted baingan to the onion tomato tadka and cook on a slow flame for 7-10 minutes. The baingan should mix really well and should not stand out in the wok. Add garam masala and amchoor at the end.
- Top Baingan bharta with fresh coriander leaves and serve it with roti or paratha!
Video
Notes
- Roast the eggplant directly over a full flame for the smoky taste. Turn it often so the skin chars evenly from all sides. The eggplant is ready when the skin is fully blackened and the fork goes smoothly in it.
- After roasting, place the hot eggplant in a bowl of water for a minute. This helps loosen the charred skin and makes peeling easier.
- The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 bowl | |
| Servings: 3 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 140 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 7g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat 4.1g | 20% |
| Cholesterol 16mg | 5% |
| Sodium 87mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrate 19g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber 5.2g | 19% |
| Total Sugars 7.8g | |
| Protein 3.8g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 45mg | 3% |
| Iron 3mg | 19% |
| Potassium 444mg | 9% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
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