Bagara Baingan

Bagara Baingan is a very popular Hyderabadi dish.  This unique recipe has a sour and a sweet taste to it. Hyderabadi Biriyani is not complete without this wonderful side dish. Biriyani and Bagara baingan complement each other in its own unique way. Being a vegetarian dish, this is ideal for any occasion. 

Ingredients:

Peanut - 3 tablespoon

Dry coconut - 3 tablespoon

Sesame seed - 2 tablespoon

Tamarind pulp - 3 tablespoon

Jaggery - 1 tablespoon

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Green chilli paste  - 1 tablespoon

chilli powder - 1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Onions - 1 medium

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Brinjal(medium size) - 8 nos

Oil - 3 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Method :

First dry roast peanut, coconut and then sesame seeds separately and grind them to a smooth paste adding enough water. Keep this paste aside. Wash and slit the brinjal from both sides without cutting them completely.  Make sure the stem is intact to the vegetable.  Dry the brinjal using the paper towel and deep fry them.

   Heat a wide pan, add mustard, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add in the chopped onions and some salt (adding salt to onions helps in removing moisture from the onions faster), fry them until it is golden brown .Then add ginger garlic paste, saute them till the raw smell disappears. Now  add green chilli paste, some curry leaves and the tamarind paste, cook for a miute or two. The  oil will be oozing out at this stage. 

      Now add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and then pour in the groundmasala to the mixture. Mix them thoroughly, add the jaggery at this point  and add some  water  to the masala.Cover the pan with a lid to avoid splattering liquid. Let the mixture cook in low flame for at least twenty minutes.  The mixture has a tendency to stick to the dish and get burnt. Stir them often, so that the mixture is not burnt.  The oil will ooze out, when the masala is completely cooked. Now  add the deep fried brinjal, simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Let all the masala get incorporated into the brinjal. Switch off the stove. Delicious  Bagara baingan is ready to serve. Mirchi ka salan is also prepared in the similar way, except that mirchi is fried and added instead of brinjal.

 Nutrition Facts :

• Brinjal is rich in calcium, fiber and folic acid
• It is very rich in potassium
• It is a good source of Vitamin A, B & C
• It has high water content, almost 92% of moisture