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Baingan Ka Bhartha Recipe (Roasted Eggplant Curry)

Name: Baingan Ka Bhartha Recipe (Roasted Eggplant Curry)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 3070 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 large sized eggplants; cooking oil (any, my preference is Olive or Rice Bran); Red Chilli Powder (as hot as your liking is but be very careful with that, I use medium hot); Dhania-Jeera Powder; Turmeric Powder; Salt (normal powdered salt); 2 medium sized potatoes, finely chopped; Spring Onions finely chopped (optional) (can be used as garnishing or put in while final stage of cooking); Garlic paste (fresh or bottled) (optional) or freshly chopped garlic cloves x 3; Kothmir / Dhania - Green - finely chopped as garnishing

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How to make Baingan Ka Bhartha ?

From big eggplant only, ideally; Ideally, for 4 (four) servings, 2 good sized (big) and healthy looking and feeling Eggplant to be purchased. Have salt (as per taste), Red Chilli Powder, Dhania-Jeera (or only Dhania) powder, Turmeric powder; 2 medium sized tomatoes (can be substituted by Tomato Puree or tinned tomatoes but the taste will differ a bit); Optional: Garlic (fresh and crushed or bottled paste); Spring Onions (ideal but optional), finely chopped (or it can be normal onion, finely chopped - taste will differ a bit), green/fresh garlic (if available, but not must); Ideally served with: BAJRA ROTLA (Millet Flat Bread) , Lahsun Ki Chatni (Garlic Chutney), Fresh Buttermilk, Fresh Butter (can be margarine or the butter available in supermarket), Jaggery (Gud) COOKING REQUIREMENTS: Ideally, Gas burner/barbeque (not the electric based stove)

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Ingredients for Baingan Ka Bhartha Recipe (Roasted Eggplant Curry)

#	Ingredients
1.	2 large sized eggplants
2.	cooking oil (any, my preference is Olive or Rice Bran)
3.	Red Chilli Powder (as hot as your liking is but be very careful with that, I use medium hot)
4.	Dhania-Jeera Powder
5.	Turmeric Powder
6.	Salt (normal powdered salt)
7.	2 medium sized potatoes, finely chopped
8.	Spring Onions finely chopped (optional) (can be used as garnishing or put in while final stage of cooking)
9.	Garlic paste (fresh or bottled) (optional) or freshly chopped garlic cloves x 3
10.	Kothmir / Dhania - Green - finely chopped as garnishing

Steps of Baingan Ka Bhartha Recipe (Roasted Eggplant Curry)

#	Steps
1.	Wash the Eggplants, make sure that the cuts are made deep in the Eggplants
2.	Put them on high flame. I personally use skewers to put those across to handle the hot Eggplant while being roasted
3.	Roast it properly for nearly 8 to 10 minutes, till the skin on the top is completely black/burnt and the juices are starting to flow and one can glimpse within that the Eggplant is looking roasted from within - do not compromise till you are satisfied that it is totally tender and roasted.
4.	Allow it to cool down to an extent that it can be handled by hand. Chop off the green bottom as closely as you can. Then rip off the skin - few ways of doing that but best is by using fingers. I allow it to cool down sufficiently and then by wearing appropriate gloves, skin the eggplants. Once the skin is removed, chop the Eggplants to a mixture, as small pieces as you can, ideally not larger than the finely chopped tomatoes/onions;
5.	In the meantime, as a part of preparation, I would have chopped the Onions/Spring Onions, Tomatoes and keep ready other ingredients.
6.	2 to 3 spoonfuls of cooking oil in a Kadai or pan and put it on gas on high flame for couple of minutes and then lower the flame.
7.	Put in the tomatoes once the oil is reasonably hot, put in two spoonfuls of chilli powder (or as per taste, if you want mild, use a little less or half of it), a small spoonful of turmeric powder, one to one and half spoonful DhaniJeera powder and SALT as per taste (I put it using my fingers but half to one teaspoonful shall be okay), while mixing with a big spoon or an appropriate applicance;
8.	Now, some people do put in Onions - half an onion - I do not personally use that at this stage, I like to put it at the end - if you want to add at this stage, saute it properly, brown but not black;
9.	Once you consider that all the spices have mixed properly and on slow flame, check that you have got enough oil for mixing of the final ingredient as such - if not, you can ideally add a little oil at this stage. Then allow a minute or two and add the mashed eggplant and keep on mixing it with an applicance. Allow it to be mixed properly - but increase the flame to high;
10.	After few minutes, the whole mix will start to simmer, lower the flame, keep on mixing the ingredients. I tend to put a bit of garlic and bit of spring onion or onion at this stage.
11.	Keep on mixing and cooking on low flame. Ideally, I take a spoonful and taste for salt especially (note: putting salt depends on bit of trial-error but if you are too unsure, keep a little bit of chopped/mashed Eggplant on the side - do not pour the whole and then pour it if you think that you have put more salt)
12.	After 3 to 5 minutes on small flame and proper mixing and simmering, switch off the gas, the dish is ready.
13.	take it out in a serving bowl and you can garnish it by fresh chopped corriander and spring onions (I put the spring onions in the later part within the mix and if some guests are coming then do the garnishing).