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    Home » Indian

    Baingan Bharta | Smoky Eggplant Mash

    Published: Dec 29, 2019 · Modified: Jan 24, 2023 by Archana · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · 12 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    Baingan Ka Bharta is a simple and gorgeous recipe, that lends a finger-licking tang to the humble eggplant. Also called Eggplant Bharta, this recipe is an exciting Indian variation of Baba Ganoush, that packs in a subtle zing and sharpness, masked in delectable smoky undertones.

    baingan bharta served with roti and raita
    Jump to:
    • What is Baingan Bharta
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Baingan Bharta
    • Using Oven to Broil Eggplant
    • Tips and Variations
    • Best Eggplant for Bharta
    • Serving Baingan Bharta
    • How to Store
    • More Eggplant Recipes
    • Recipe

    What is Baingan Bharta

    Baingan Bharta is a spicy Indian side dish originating from Punjab, North India with many variations throughout the different regions of India. Made of smoked mashed eggplant cooked with garlic, onion tomatoes, and warming spices, Baingan Bharta makes for a delicious gluten-free and vegan side dish that is often served with gluten-free Bajra Bhakri or Jowar Roti in Maharashtra, Western India.

    A versatile dish, this spicy eggplant mash can also be served with piping hot roti, or can be topped on mini bite-sized naans or cocktail flatbreads to make for a fun appetizer.

    Eggplant Bharta served as appetizer bites

    Ingredients

    • Eggplant - Small Italian eggplant work great for this recipe as they have less seeds, I also like to make bharta with the graffiti eggplant
    • Onions - Yellow onion or red onion can be used in this recipe
    • Tomato - Tomato adds tangy flavor and a pop of color while balancing the spice from the chilies and spices
    • Garlic - finely minced fresh garlic add a lot of flavor to this dish. During summer time, if you have fresh garlic greens, add those to bharta for amazing flavors
    • Curry Leaves - Fresh curry leaves add citrusy flavor to this dish
    • Green Chili - spicy Indian green chili adds perfect heat to this dish, you can also use jalapeno or serrano peppers. For a less spicy version skip green chilies and use mild Kashmiri red chili powder instead
    • Scallions - saute the white part of the scallions with onios and use the greens as garnish
    • Spices - turmeric and mustard seeds
    eggplaint bharta ingredients
    Ingredients to make Baingan Ka Bharta

    How to Make Baingan Bharta

    Step 1: Roast the eggplants

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Rinse & dry the eggplant(s) and place them on the baking tray. Make a long slit going almost ¾ way through each eggplant and then make 3 slits on each side of the long slit. Spray a layer of olive oil all over the eggplant.
    Photos showing how to broil eggplant in the oven
    • Broil for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the skin starts to char and the eggplant has softened. Allow the eggplant to completely cool down and then using a spoon and knife gently open the eggplant from the middle slit separating the 2 sides of the eggplant. Then scoop out the inner flesh, give it a fine chop or mash and discard the outer skin. Reserve the mashed eggplant.
    roasted eggplant mash

    Tip - This cooked eggplant can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days making it perfect for meal prepping. You can also add to homemade Baba Ganoush for a quick snack or go ahead and make this tasty Eggplant Bharta in 10 minutes!

    Step 2: Temper spices and sauté onions

    • Heat oil in a medium pan and add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add turmeric, curry leaves, and onions. Cook covered on medium heat for 3-4 minutes (photos 7 - 10).
    photos showing tempering and onions sautéing

    Step 3: Sauté veggies and eggplant

    • Add crushed chilies and chopped garlic. Sauté for a min, and add half of the scallions and tomatoes. Mix well and cook for 2 mins on medium heat. Add roasted eggplant and Salt. Mix well and cook for 2 mins. Garnish with remaining scallions and cilantro (photos 11 - 14).
    Photos showing steps to make baingan bharta

    Using Oven to Broil Eggplant

    Traditionally, for this dish, the Indian eggplant is roasted directly over the flame, which heightens its smoky aroma and flavor. However, this can make a mess on your stovetop, so I usually broil the eggplant in the oven for this baingan bharta recipe.

    Tips and Variations

    1. Buy medium-sized eggplants, each weighing around ¾th of a pound. If using a smaller Italian variety you can use 3 to 4 eggplants
    2. Cook the eggplant over a gas stove turning the eggplants 3 to 4 times as all the sides get evenly charred and the eggplant becomes soft
    3. During summertime, broil the eggplant on the outdoor grill
    4. I use neutral cooking oil for this recipe, but you can also use mustard oil
    5. Add a tablespoon of coriander powder, a teaspoon of red chili powder, and half a teaspoon of garam masala for spicier bharta
    6. Skip fresh curry leaves if you do not have them
    7. Adjust the green chilies to make the Bharta more or less spicy
    8. Stir in a cup of green peas in the end if you like

    Best Eggplant for Bharta

    Baingan Bharta is one of the easiest, quickest and tastiest dishes you can make from eggplant. This recipe is best made with Italian eggplants, which are a bit smaller than the regular American Globe Eggplant, or with the sweeter Graffiti Eggplants. The flavors are really magical when you char broil the eggplant for this dish. Char broiling adds a wonderful smokey flavor and also cooks the eggplant to perfect softness.

    Serving Baingan Bharta

    Serve Baingan Bharta as a side with roti, parathas or Jowar Bhakri. Just like most Indian curries, Baingan Bharta is naturally gluten-free and vegan. To make it a completely gluten-free meal, just pair it with Jowar Roti, Masoor Dal Chilla, or Moong Dal Chilla. It also pairs well with rice dishes like Cabbage Rice, Veg Biryani, or low-carb lemon cauliflower rice.

    How to Store

    Eggplant Bharta makes for a perfect make-ahead as well as a meal prep dish. You can broil the eggplant 2 to 3 days before, scoop out the inner flesh, and store it in an airtight container. Fully cooked Bharta can also be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. To reheat simply microwave for a few minutes.

    More Eggplant Recipes

    • Roasted garlicky eggplant - Baby eggplant loaded with garlic and spiced with cumin
    • Stuffed baby eggplant - Easy eggplant curry with onion and spices stuffing
    • Instant Pot Baingan Bharta - Don't want to heat up the oven? Try this Instant Pot version
    • Instant Pot Curried Eggplant - Spicy Curried Eggplant cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot
    • Masale Bhath - Delicious one-pot meal with rice, eggplant, and potatoes

    Recipe

    Tried this recipe? We love your feedback.Please click on the stars in the recipe card below
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    5 from 6 votes

    Baingan Bharta

    Spicy and Smokey eggplant dip with onions, tomatoes, chile and earthy spices garnished with fresh cilantro.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 101kcal
    Author: Archana Mundhe

    Ingredients

    • 1 - 2 medium eggplant(s) around 1½ pounds
    • 1 tomato diced
    • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
    • ½ cup scallions chopped fine
    • 3 green chilies crushed
    • 8 curry leaves
    • 8 garlic cloves finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
    • ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
    • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degree F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Rinse & dry the eggplant(s) and place them on the baking tray. Make a long slit going almost ¾ th way through each eggplant and then make 3 slits on each side of the long slit. Spray a layer of olive oil all over the eggplant.
    • Broil for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the skin starts to char and the eggplant has softened. Allow the eggplant to completely cool down and then using a spoon and knife gently open the eggplant from the middle slit separating the 2 sides of the eggplant. Then scoop out the inner flesh, give it a rough chop and discard the outer skin.
    • Heat oil in a medium pan and add mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add turmeric, curry leaves and onions. Cook covered on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
    • Add crushed chilies and garlic. Sauté for a min, add half of the scallions and tomatoes. Mix well and cook for 2 mins on medium heat. Add roasted eggplant and Salt. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Garnish with remaining scallions and cilantro.
    • Serve with naan, roti or fresh homemade parathas.

    Video

    Notes

    Tips
    • Buy medium-sized eggplants, each weighing around ¾th of a pound. If using a smaller Italian variety you can use 3 to 4 eggplants
    Variations
    • Cook the eggplant over a gas stove turning the eggplants 3 to 4 times as all the sides get evenly charred and the eggplant becomes soft
    • During summertime, broil the eggplant on the outdoor grill
    • I use neutral cooking oil for this recipe, but you can also use mustard oil
    • Add a tablespoon of coriander powder, a teaspoon of red chili powder, and half a teaspoon of garam masala for spicier bharta
    • Skip fresh curry leaves if you do not have them
    • Adjust the green chilies to make the Bharta more or less spicy
    • Stir in a cup of green peas in the end if you like
    Meal Prep
    • Broiled eggplant can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days 
    Make Ahead
    • Fully cooked Bharta can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days or frozen for longer shelf life 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 444mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 551IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Author: Archana

    Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
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    1. how to says

      May 22, 2019 at 8:28 am

      Hi there, this weekend is pleasant for me, for the reason that this point in time i am reading this
      great informative piece of writing here at my house.

      Reply
    2. Waddy Lowe says

      December 07, 2019 at 11:41 pm

      That dish looks delicious, I’ll be trying this dish soon. I hope as thinking about using cumin seeds instead of the mustard seeds.5 stars

      Reply
    3. Bill hunt says

      January 04, 2020 at 1:06 am

      What are curry leaves?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        January 04, 2020 at 9:48 am

        Curry leaves are fresh green herbs found in the produce section of Indian grocery stores. They add citrusy aromas to the food and can be skipped if you cannot find them. They are not related to curry powder.

        Reply
    4. Shweta says

      August 06, 2020 at 11:15 am

      Hi, I use the same pan but its charred. Any idea to remove the charring?5 stars

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 08, 2020 at 9:43 am

        Soak it in warm water and vinegar.

        Reply
    5. Shahwar says

      August 25, 2020 at 1:29 am

      Why do you put turmeric in oil ?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        August 26, 2020 at 1:04 pm

        My mom does it so the oil gets infused with the earthy aromas.

        Reply
    6. Sheesha says

      February 08, 2021 at 11:15 am

      Hi... do you need to turn the eggplant midway while broiling to evenly char it ?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        February 08, 2021 at 11:19 am

        I do not turn the eggplant. But you may if you like.

        Reply
    7. Danita says

      March 10, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      Hi I wanted clarification on the oven instructions. You mention preheat to 425 degrees then broil the eggplant. Broil is different that baking at 425. My oven also has a low and high broil setting and the flame is at the top for the broil settings vs heat coming from the bottom for baking. Are you baking it at 425 or broiling the eggplant?

      Reply
      • Archana says

        March 11, 2021 at 1:10 pm

        Broil it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Archana: a former software engineer, now a full-time blogger. I am a mother of two boys who share my love for food and cooking. Words I love to hear are, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” The same words I say to my mom every time we speak. I live in the greater New York City Area with my husband and sons.

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