Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is one of the most famous and delicious dish made out of Brinjal. This is a Punjabi cuisine , of course now made around the world with numerous variations. My introduction to this dish is in a hotel in Australia. I never tasted this before and one of my friends ordered the dish as a side dish for biryani and roti. It tasted great , but then it was very very oily there. So that prompted me to try the dish at home and I loved it. This can be made out of brinjal of any kind and size. The smoky flavor of the brinjal with the tomatoes gives the dish a yummy taste and great color. This is my favorite side dish with Dum Biryani..

Ingredients :

• Brinjal : 1 large
• Onions : 2 (finely chopped)
• Tomatoes : 3 (finely chopped)
• Green peas : 1/2 cup(boiled)
• Ginger- garlic paste : 1 tblspn
• Green chillies : 3 (finely chopped )
• Asefoetida : a pinch
• Coriander powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Garam masala powder : 1/2 tspn
• Cumin powder : 1/2 tspn
• salt : as required
• Chilli powder : 1/2 tblspn
• Curd : 1/4 cup
• Sugar : 1 tspn
• Oil : 3 tblspn
• Cumin seeds : 1 tblspn
• Coriander Leaves : 2 tblspn
• Turmeric : a pinch
• Lemon juice : 1/2 tspn

Procedure:

1.  Apply oil all over brinjal , and fry it on the direct flame or put it in the griller for 30 mins on a high flame.
2. Once done , peel the skin , remove the stem  and remove any excess seeds. Chop the brinjal finely.
3. Heat oil in a pan , add cumin seeds , asefoetida. Let the cumin seeds crackle.
4. Add ginger-garlic paste, fry for a minute and add the chopped onions and green chillies. Let them fry for 2 mins and then add turmeric , coriander powder , cumin powder , mix well and fry for a minute.
5. Add the tomatoes , chilli powder , salt and cook closing the lid until the tomatoes become soft.
6. Add little water if required. Once the tomatoes are cooked add the chopped  brinjal , peas ,sugar , little water and let it cook for 5 mins until the gravy become thick.
7. Finally add lemon juice , mix well and then add the curd and garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve hot with biryani or any bread.