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Baingan Bharta is a Punjabi eggplant dish where brinjal is roasted over an open flame until charred, then mashed and cooked with ghee, cumin seeds, ginger-garlic, tomato and garam masala. The key to authentic flavor is the smoky char from direct flame roasting.
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Baingan Bharta is one of the very famous Punjabi main course dishes. It is made with roasted brinjal which is mashed and with spices. It can be had with Roti, Naan, Kulcha any Indian bread according to your preference. If you like this Punjabi Baingan Bharta recipe, below are the links to similar recipes : •Achari Baingan •Baingan Musasalam •Bharwan Baingan
To make Baingan Bharta, grease the 1 large brinjal (baingan / eggplant) with oil using your hands or a brush. This helps in roasting the brinjal easily and also aids in the removal of skin after roasting.
Roast it directly over an open flame until it is cooked. Keep rotating so the brinjal gets cooked evenly. The entire procedure would take around 8 to 10 minutes on a medium flame. Alternatively, you can even roast the brinjal in an oven, microwave or you can grill the eggplant on a barbecue grill, but it won’t give that smoky flavour. A good sign to know if the eggplant is cooked perfectly or no is to watch the eggplant 'cave in' on itself, the skin getting charred and flesh getting soft.
Once it’s roasted well, remove from flame and insert a knife in the center to check whether it is cooked perfectly or not. The knife should slide without any resistance. Keep aside to cool slightly. Many people even place the baingan in a foil after roasting which creates steam and helps in loosening the skin.
Peel the charred skin and discard it. If you find small bits of burnt skin which you do not like then dunk the brinjal in a bowl of water which will help to remove the skin that is stuck here and there.
Transfer the eggplant to a bowl, mash the pulp thoroughly using a fork or potato masher and keep aside.
For preparing the Baingan Ka Bharta, heat the 1 tbsp ghee in a pan.
Add the 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera). Ghee can be substituted with vegetable oil or mustard oil if you want.
When the seeds crackle, add 1/2 cup finely chopped onion.
Sauté on a medium flame for 3 minutes or till they turn golden brown.
Add 1 1/2 tsp grated ginger (adrak). or You can make use of 1 tsp ginger (adrak) paste.
Add 1 tsp grated garlic (lehsun) or 1 tsp garlic (lehsun) paste. If you do not have fresh ginger-garlic then you can make use of ginger-garlic paste but the best flavours are obtained from fresh ingredients. Also, to make extra flavorful baingan bharta you can roast some garlic cloves along with the baingan & then add to the sabzi.
Add the 1 tsp finely chopped green chillies.
Sauté for a few more seconds or till the raw smell goes away. Add green chillies as per the heat you can handle.
Add the 1/2 cup finely chopped tomato.
Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi).
Add 1 tbsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder.
Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
Add the roasted and mashed brinjal.
Add the 1/2 tsp punjabi garam masala. We have made use of homemade garam masala.
Add salt to taste.
Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Our Baingan Bharta is ready.
Garnished with 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania).
Serve Punjabi Baingan Bharta hot. You can enjoy the smoky eggplant mash with Indian spices with warm rotis and chapatis.
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Store cooled baingan bharta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
open flame (stovetop) or oven for roasting eggplant · fork or potato masher
Written automatically by CookOS, not by the creator.
Yes, you can roast in an oven, microwave, or grill, but direct flame roasting gives the authentic smoky flavor that defines baingan bharta.
Insert a knife into the center—it should slide through without resistance. The skin will be charred and the flesh soft.
Yes, vegetable oil or mustard oil can substitute for ghee, though ghee provides the traditional flavor.
The sabzi cooks for about 8–10 minutes total: 3 minutes for onions to turn golden, a few seconds for aromatics, 2–3 minutes for tomato and spices to soften, and 3–4 minutes after adding the mashed brinjal.
Yes, baingan bharta can be made a day ahead and reheated gently in a pan. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
