This is true iconic Hyderabadi dish and I am requested to make it more often than I can count. If I know that the people I am serving it to can tolerate the heat, I add more green chillies, which brings out the flavours.
What is the Meaning of Baghare Baingan?
What is the meaning of “Baghare” in this recipe, many of my friends asks me this question. Across India, the final seasoning has different names and in Hyderabad, we call it baghar. It adds flavour and flourish to the dish, and must never be skipped.
The baghar is either done right at the start of cooking (as in Mirchi Ka Saalan, Baghare Baingan and Tamatar ki Chutney) or at the end, when he dish is ready, as with most dals. Be careful never to add water when doing your baghar. If the baghar is to be done first, ensure that the pan or dish you are cooking in is wiped clean. For the baghar at the end, you might need to purchase a small handheld pan, which you can find at any good store.
How Hyderabad Baghare Baingan is made?
The standard ingredients for baghar are dried red chillies, cumin seeds or mustard seeds, garlic cloves and curry leaves. You must heat oil or ghee, or a mixture of both until smoking, and add the ingredients quickly. Let them splutter and then either add in the other ingredients or pour the baghar over the finished dish. When you do the baghar at the end, make sure you cover the dish as soon as you pour it in. This helps preserve the aroma and the flavours.
Enough talking now, let me share with you Baghare Baingan recipe. Don’t forget to watch our Baghare Baingan Video on Foodi Blog Youtube channel.
Other Interesting Recipes:
Hyderabadi Bagare Baingan Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg round eggplants (baingan) (बैंगन)
- 1/4 kg finely sliced onions (प्याज)
- 1 1/2 cups oil तेल
- 10 green chillies हरी मिर्च
- 4 springs curry leaves करी पत्ता
- 4 tbsp sesame seeds तिल
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste अदरक लहसुन की पेस्ट
- 3 tbsp peanuts मूंगफली
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds साबुत धनिया
- 2 tbsp cumin seeds जीरा
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds मेथी दाने
- 1/2 tsp nigella seeds कलोंजी
- 1 tbsp red chillies powder पीसी हुई लाल मिर्च
- 1 tbsp kashmiri red chillies powder (पीसी हुई कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च
- fistful tamarind pulp इमली पल्प
- salt to taste (नमक)
For the Baghar:
- 1 spring curry leaves करी पत्ता
- 1 tsp cumin seeds जीरा
- 1/2 tsp nigella seeds कलोंजी
- 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds मेथी दाने
Instructions
- Roast the coriander powder, peanuts and fenugreek, onion, cumin and sesame seeds together.1/4 kg finely sliced, 4 tbsp sesame seeds, 3 tbsp peanuts, 2 tbsp coriander seeds, 2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1 spring curry leaves, 1/2 tsp nigella seeds
- Grind to a fine paste with water.
- Heat oil in a pan, and fry the sliced onion until very brown but not burnt. (Or, you can roast the onions, one at a time, directly on the flame. Let each char, and then peel.1 1/2 cups oil, 1/4 kg finely sliced
- Grind the fried or charred onions to a fine paste.
- Slit each eggplant in four quarters, leaving the stem on.1 kg round eggplants
- Keep a deep bowl of salted, room-temperature water on hand, and drop each eggplant quarter into it as you slit it.
- Heat oil in a thick-bottomed, large pan.1 1/2 cups oil
- Add curry leaves, cumin, fenugreek and nigella seeds (kalonji). When these splutter, add the masala paste you ground earlier.4 springs curry leaves, 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tsp nigella seeds, 1 tbsp red chillies powder, 1 tbsp kashmiri red chillies powder (पीसी हुई कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds, salt
- Saute until it is fragrant and well-browned. Now, add the eggplants and green chillies; cover and let cook on low flame until almost soft.1 kg round eggplants, 10 green chillies
- Pour the tamarind pulp and cook on a mediuum flame for another 10 minutes or until the gravy is thick.fistful tamarind pulp
- Sprinkle in the coriander leaves and keep on dum for a few minutes until the oil rises to the surface.
- You can choose to drain this oil off before you serve the dish.
