Peanutty Baingan Bhartha

Brinjal/Aubergine is one vegetable I never get right. Brinjals have a funny bitter taste that are difficult to get rid of in cooking. One view is to soak the cut pieces in salty water and drain well before cooking. Else, use a lot of oil to fry well. I have not used the first method successfully. And dont approve of the amount of oil used in the second method. The solution? Roast them! Roasted over an open flame or in the grill, brinjal flesh becomes deliciously soft and miraculously lose the bitterness. This is the only way I cook brinjals now and it is finger licking good - great with chappatis or nan.

View original recipe here. The only variation is the addition of peanut butter and I keep the spice level low keeping my 2yr old's taste in mind.

Peanutty Baingan Bhartha

Age when introduced: 2 yrs

Ingredients:

Baingan (Eggplant) – 3 medium (use the purple large ones rather than any other varieties)

White Onions – 2 large (chopped fine)

Tomatoes – 4 medium (chopped fine)

Garlic – 1 or 2 cloves 

Green chillies – 1 

Ginger – 1 cm x 1 cm piece grated

Jeera – 1 tsp

Curry powder – 1 tsp (Or use a combination of corriander powder and garam masala)

Choley masala – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric – ¼ tsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Crunchy peanut butter - 2 tbsp (or u can use crushed roasted peanuts instead, but the p.b. adds a wonderful creaminess)

Salt to taste

Cilantro to garnish

Method:

Pierce the skin of the baingan several times with a fork. Rub some oil on them and roast it directly on the fire until the skin chars and the flesh is completely cooked. This works best when you have a gas stove. For those with smooth tops, like me, open the oven and grill it on high. Keep checking and turning when required. Once cooked, place it in a cold water bath and peel the skins off. It should come off easily. Now, just run your knife over the baingan randomly and cut it into small bits. Or use a masher.

Heat up the oil and add the jeera. Add the ginger and green chilly. Then add the onions and garlic. Once the onions are transluscent, add tomatoes. After the tomatoes are cooked, add the turmeric, curry and choley masala pwds. Add the chopped baingan and required salt. Let it cook together for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the peanut butter and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rotis or nan. Yummy!