Baingan Bharta

Baingan Bharta is an eggplant dish originating in the Punjab region of India, though there are many regional variations (as with almost every dish in a country as diverse as India). It’s smoky, spicy, and tangy, and so flavorful!

In Hindi, baingan means eggplant and bharta means mash or filling (sometimes, the dish is also called baingan ka bharta, or mash of eggplant).

First, for the baingan: You roast a whole eggplant over an open flame until the skin blackens and chars, which infuses the entire eggplant with a smoky aroma and taste. In Punjab, the eggplant is often roasted in the tandoor oven, which infuses it with that smoky charcoal aroma.

For the bharta: You’ll sauté aromatics like onions, ginger, garlic, and green chiles in a bit of oil, along with a few spices like coriander and red chile powder; then you’ll add some tomatoes for that tangy flavor and cook until soft. Finally, add the eggplant mash into the bharta and cook everything together to blend the flavors.