Bagara Baingan

Bhagara Baingan

Bagara Baingan is a traditional Andhra dish made of small eggplants. Peanuts and sesame seeds are roasted till golden brown and ground with coconut to form the stuffing and gravy of this dish. The ground paste can be stuffed into brinjals and can be cooked in its own gravy. This hyderabadi bhagara baingan serves best with biryani or any flavored rice.
Makes: 3 Servings

Ingredients:

Small Purple Eggplants 5
Onion 1
Green Chiles 1 – 2
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tsp
Raw Peanuts 1 tbsp
White Sesame Seeds 1 tbsp
Poppy Seeds 1 tsp
Fresh or Dry Coconut 1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Tamarind 1 inch sized ball
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Bay Leaf 1
Fenugreek Seeds a pinch
Mustard Seeds 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves 4
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Thoroughly wash and slit brinjals into quarters making sure its stem is intact.
Deep fry the slit eggplants in medium hot oil for 15 – 20 seconds or until they turn little soft.
If eggplants are not deep fried, they take a longer time to cook in the gravy.
Peel and finely chop onion.
Remove stems, wash and slit green chiles.
Soak tamarind in half a cup of water and extract all the thick juice.

Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and grated coconut separately until light golden color.
Cool the roasted ingredients and grind all of them into smooth paste adding tamarind juice.
Stuff the fried brinjals with quarter of the stuffed paste if you wish.

Heat oil in sauce pan, add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
When mustard seeds start to crackle, add finely chopped onion and green chiles.
Once onion turns translucent, add ginger garlic paste.
Then add ground peanut sesame poppy seeds paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and a cup of water.
Tuck the fried brinjals into the gravy and close the lid.
Cook on low flame for 5 – 10 minutes.
If the gravy seems to be too thick, add little more water at this point of time.
Cook for another 5 minutes or until oil oozes out.
Serve bhagara baingan hot with biryani, steamed rice or plain chapatis.
Notes: Make sure not to burn any of the roasting ingredients and make sure eggplants are thoroughly cooked without any rawness left.

Suggestions: Brinjals are hard – Deep fry or shallow fry the brinjals till soft next time. You can also cook the brinjals in gravy for longer time with another cup of water.
Variations: Bagara Baingan is done in multiple ways to say the least. Some like to add tomatoes, cashew nut paste, coriander seeds powder, garam masala instead of whole spices, little jaggery, black peppercorns, etc…
Other Names: Bhagara Baingan, Bhagare Baingan, Noone Vankaya Kura, Nune Vankaya.