Bagara Baingan
Recipe:
– Brinjals/Vankaya/Baingan – small sized – 6 to 8
– Onions – 1 large
– Green Chillies – 4
– Peanuts/Palli – 1/2 cup – dry roasted and skin peeled off
– Coconut powder – 2 or 3 tsps
– White Sesame seeds – 1 or 2 tsps
– Tamarind juice – 3 to 4 tsps
– Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
– Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
– Cloves – 3 or 4
– Coriander leaves
1. Thoroughly wash the brinjals including the crowns. Using or discarding the crown is your choice. Once washed, pat the brinjals dry, cut each into a + pattern but not all the way up-to the stem and set aside.
2. In a cooking pot, heat about 4 tsps of oil. Add the brinjals and fry on all sides until it is a little soft. Usually takes about 3 mins for each. Fry them in batches and set aside.
3. In a pan, dry roast the sesame seeds lightly and set aside. Repeat the same with coconut powder and the peanuts.
4. In a blender/mixer take the roasted sesame seeds, coconut powder, peanuts and grind them into a fine paste. Add little water to the blender if needed. The paste should be of thick consistency, not watery.
5. In the cooking pot, add some more oil if needed. Once, the oil is hot enough add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, sesame seeds + coconut pwdr + peanuts paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
6. Add tamarind juice and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water. Bring the gravy to a boil.
7. Now, add the fried brinjals to the gravy. Cover and cook for about 12 to 15 mins until they are well cooked.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with roti, naan or pulav.
