Baigan (Aubergine) Bartha Poornima Style

You either like aubergines or you don’t but I have seen this humble aubergine dish convert many a non-believer.

Now, to borrow heavily from John Lewis, we are “Never knowingly undercatered” in our house, but just how low my expectations are of this dish was brought home to me sometime in November when my office came home for dinner. I made one aubergine instead of two and watched with horror as a late comer who does like aubergine tried desperately to get the last spec off the empty dish. I don’t think I am ever going to recover from this tragedy – and to this day have many flashbacks of the sad expression on her face.

The tedious part of this recipe is to roast the aubergine, but once that’s out of the way it is frightfully easy to make. Here’s how.

Baigan (Aubergine) Bartha Poornima Style

Serves 3
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 5 minutes
Total time 20 minutes
You either like aubergines or you don’t but I have seen this humble aubergine dish convert many a non-believer.

Ingredients

  • 1 largeAubergine (whole)
  • 1 small onion (diced into small pieces)
  • 1 small tomato (chopped into small pieces)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (chopped into small pieces)
  • 1 dried red chilli (two if you want it spicy)
  • 1 tsp. mustard seeds (known as rai seeds and available in any Indian shop. Try A to Z whose ad comes up on this page)
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
  • a few leaves of coriander (to garnish)

Note

I love this dish when it is mixed with a little bit of yogurt although this might be an acquired taste!

Directions

Step 1
Roast the aubergine - you can either do this in the oven or over an open fire. We normally coat the aubergine in a little oil before it is roasted
Step 2
Once the aubergine has cooled down, peel off the skin entirely
Step 3
Chop the aubergine into little pieces and keep aside
Step 4
Heat up some all in a pan and put in the mustard seeds
Step 5
When they start to pop put in the red chilli, garlic and onions
Step 6
Fry until the onions are brown and put in the chopped pieces of tomato
Step 7
Fry until the oil separates from the onion-tomato mixture
Step 8
Put in the pieces of aubergine and add the turmeric
Step 9
Fry until the aubergine mixes well with the tomato mixture
Step 10
Garnish with coriander and serve hot with dal and rice. What else?!