Bagara Baingan (Creamy Spiced Eggplant)
Updated Jan. 26, 2024
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ¼ cup coconut oil, ghee or olive oil
- 4Indian (baby) eggplants (about 4 ounces each), slit vertically in half, leaving the stems intact (for other eggplant options, see Tip)
- 2whole dried red chiles (such as dundicut or bird’s eye)
- 1teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2teaspoons white sesame seeds (optional)
- ½teaspoon ginger paste or freshly grated ginger (from about one ¼-inch piece)
- ½teaspoon garlic paste or freshly grated garlic (from about 2 cloves)
- 1small red onion, chopped
- 1½teaspoons Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder
- ½teaspoon garam masala
- ¼teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1½teaspoons fine sea salt or kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1tablespoon peanut butter
- 1½teaspoons tamarind paste (optional, but highly recommended)
- ½cup full-fat Greek, Indian or cashew yogurt
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Rice or roti, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
215 calories; 18 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 431 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oil in a medium pot (about 9-inch diameter) or Dutch oven on high for 30 seconds. Add eggplant and fry until the skin is tender, turning the eggplant every few minutes so all sides get even heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove eggplant and set aside.
- Step 2
Lower the heat to medium. Add red chiles, mustard, cumin and sesame seeds (if using), and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ginger and garlic pastes and cook until the smell of raw ginger and garlic dissipates, about 30 seconds.
- Step 3
Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the chile powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt.
- Step 4
Stir in peanut butter and tamarind paste, if using. Add 1½ cups water, bring to a boil on high and stir until ingredients are incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stir in yogurt. Add eggplant then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Step 5
Remove the lid and continue cooking on high heat until the eggplant is tender and the liquid has reduced slightly, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Step 6
Top with cilantro and serve with rice or roti.
Tip
- If you can’t find Indian eggplant — which you may also find labeled as “baby eggplant” — you can swap in about 1 pound of Japanese or Italian eggplant; just trim the larger eggplant and slice it lengthwise into four slabs.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Archdruid 1
Could I suggest the "non-oil" eggplant technique. Slices on paper towels - 4 to 5 minutes in the microwave (maybe be less for very small slices or a super powerful microwave). One can then brown the eggplant slices in a non-stick skillet using only oil spray. Then proceed with recipe.
Emma
This is a simplified version of the original recipe. The original has 2 signature pastes: one made by grinding charred whole onion (char it under the broiler or on an open flame), and the other from peanuts, sesame seeds and unsweetened desiccated coconut (all lightly toasted). Those pastes take a bit longer, but are essential to get the core flavour of this dish. YouTube has some great examples of the real dish.
marie
Came out delicious. I did ground all the whole spices with some peanuts and added to sautéed onions plus ginger garlic. The sauce needed a bit sugar to balance out the sour from tamarind. Can also use amchur powder if no tamarind.
Suzinsf
you could try cashews, though the flavor profile would obviously be very different. Maybe use tahini in place of the peanut butter? since the recipe already cals for sesame seeds...
a
Sauce was good. Baigan barta is better eggplant flavor. The actual eggplant didn’t absorb the sauce
Brushjl
I probably did this wrong, I used a regular eggplant, it was kind of bland.
Alison
Outstanding!
Kitfo
So good! Got the babiest of baby Indian eggplants at H Mart. Substitute mango powder for tamarind paste if unavailable. My yogurt curdled - maybe add slowly over low heat next time.
Henry Ng
This was way too salty! I'm not sure why, maybe because I'm not using the particular brand that they seem to advertise, Diamond Crystal.
Christy K
Fantastic! I upped the spices as recommended, and grilled the eggplant on the George Forman Grill - easier. In future I will stir the yogurt in right at the table, generously.
Karen g
I was in the mood to make something simple, complicated. I planked the globe eggplant, briefly salted it, brushed with ghee and grilled till soft enough to roll each slice around: 4 T peanut, 2T sesame seeds 6T coconut shreds—toasted then spun in a mini chopper with a little water. Immersed in the gravy, simmered 15 minutes
ocean lover
I liked microwaving the eggplant and frying. I thought it was a little bitter. I wanted to love it.
Tilia
We made this recipe, and the verdict was very sour! We'd probably halve the tamarind if we made it again.. Also not sure what the benefit of leaving the stems on the eggplant was. The eggplant texture was awesome and the spice balance was great.
Judi Riva
I really can't tell if this tasted like it was supposed to because I have not used tamarind paste before. I added some chunks of firm tofu during the last few minutes, along with the eggplant.
Lucy J
Can this be made without the peanut flavors? I don't care for peanut flavors in ercipes, but like spicy eggplant.
Suzinsf
you could try cashews, though the flavor profile would obviously be very different. Maybe use tahini in place of the peanut butter? since the recipe already cals for sesame seeds...
Archdruid 1
Could I suggest the "non-oil" eggplant technique. Slices on paper towels - 4 to 5 minutes in the microwave (maybe be less for very small slices or a super powerful microwave). One can then brown the eggplant slices in a non-stick skillet using only oil spray. Then proceed with recipe.
Dan and Jean
Best when using baby globe (Indian) eggplants. Japanese eggplants are too cumbersome.
Emma
This is a simplified version of the original recipe. The original has 2 signature pastes: one made by grinding charred whole onion (char it under the broiler or on an open flame), and the other from peanuts, sesame seeds and unsweetened desiccated coconut (all lightly toasted). Those pastes take a bit longer, but are essential to get the core flavour of this dish. YouTube has some great examples of the real dish.
Fran
I think this recipes needs a few more ingredients to make it sing. Not sure which ones, but I'm trusting Shah can think of some.
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