There are two different versions of Baingan Bharta. One is made with cooked and the other with raw ingredients! This dish has a distinctive flavour thanks to the mustard oil and raw ingredients in it - everything except the eggplant (which is roasted) is used raw.
Baingan Bharta is a healthy food - eggplant that is the main ingredient, is low in fat and sodium and high in dietary fiber, vitamins C and B6 magnesium, phosphorus and pottasium. Add to that the tomatoes, green chillies and onion and you've packed a mighty nutritional punch in one single dish!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 large onion chopped very fine
- 1 large tomato chopped very fine
- 2 green chillies chopped very fine (optional)
- 7-8 cloves of garlic chopped very fine
- 1/4 cup chopped coriander
- 2 tbsps mustard oil
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 lime
Preparation:
- Roast the eggplant on an open fire (medium flame), till all the skin is burnt and the eggplant looks soft.
- Peel off the burnt skin and remove the top/stem of the eggplant.
- Mash the eggplant roughly, in a mixing bowl.
- Add the mustard oil, onion, tomato, green chillies, garlic, coriander leaves and salt to taste. Mix well.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice and mix well.
- Serve as a side dish in combination with foods like plain boiled rice and Lehsuni Daal (garlic-flavored lentils), or plain boiled rice and Rajma (red kidney bean curry).
