Try Something Different: Baghara Baingan
Bite into culinary history with this baingan recipe from Chef Julius Uttom Biswas, Executive Chef with Evolve Back Hampi
This recipe for Baghara Baingan (or Baghar-E-Baigan), a dish of tempered fried aubergine (eggplant) in a masala curry with roasted coconut, groundnut, sesame seeds and tamarind, is from Chef Julius Uttom Biswas, Executive Chef with Evolve Back Hampi. “States sharing regional borders have developed versions of their own, giving the dish a unique identity,” reveals Chef Julius. “You will find Guttivankaya Kora in Andhra Pradesh or Bharleli Vangi in Maharashtra, each with its own richness and similarity in preparation. Baghare Baingan became almost as famous as Hyderabad’s biryani. It is believed that it has its roots in the Turkish Imam Bayaldi (literally meaning the Imam fainted) in its potential to make the diner faint with pleasure. Others say it evolved to be so in the 17th century, when Aurangzeb laid siege to the Golkonda Fort, which provided the gestation period for the modern-day Hyderabadi dish. Which is why it can be said that you are doing more than just eating when you dig into this unusual delicacy; you are also cherishing culinary history.”
Baghara Baingan
Ingredients
150 ml oil (divided usage)
1 kg baby aubergines
50 g mustard seeds
50 g cumin seeds
50 g dry red chillies
40 g curry leaves
120 g chopped onions
100 g tomato puree
3 tbsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp chilli powder
3 tbsp coriander powder
Salt, to taste
100 g tamarind soaked in water
50 g fresh coriander leaves
30 g mint leaves, chopped
30 ml lemon juice
For the paste:
100 g peanuts
80 g dry coconut
80 g sesame seeds
80 g coriander seeds
20 g fenugreek seeds
80 g ginger-garlic paste
Method
Heat some oil in a flat frying pan over a low-medium flame and stir-fry the eggplants, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, but not mushy. Remove from the flame and set aside.
Make a paste of the peanuts, dry coconut, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and the ginger-garlic paste. Set aside.
Heat some oil in a pan, and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. Fry, and then add the chopped onions. Saute until golden brown. Add the tomato puree and cook further.
Add the ground paste along with the rest of the powdered spices and salt. Add the tamarind water and cook further until the oil is released. Add the sauteed eggplants, and mix with the cooked masala.
Finish with fresh mint and coriander leaves, lemon juice and ghee.
Image: Evolve Back Hampi
