Baingan Bhartha (Punjabi eggplant curry)

This is another eggplant curry that I actually really like. The eggplant is first roasted and then cooked in a tomato-ey curry... delicious! The word 'Bhartha' (pronounced BHURR-thaah) refers to dishes in which the ingredients are roughly mashed either before or after the dish is prepared. This dish can be found in a lot of indian restaurants, since it is a typically North Indian recipe. I adapted it from a bunch of different recipes I found online and I think it has turned out quite well. Hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I did!

Ingredients:

3 medium sized eggplants (see roasting instructions below)

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 large tomatoes, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1" piece of ginger, grated finely

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd

1 tsp red chili pwd 2 tsp coriander pwd

1 tsp cumin pwd

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp vegetable/canola/sunflower/olive oil

2 tsp salt (add more to taste)

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

Place eggplant on cookie sheet and brush with some oil on all sides.

Roast in oven for 30-40 mins, turning every 10 mins so that all sides are cooked evenly. The skin should be charred and the inside flesh all soft. A good indication is if the eggplant starts to looking like it's caving in on itself.

Take out of oven and let cool.

Once cooled, coarsely chop into chunks. Don't worry about the size of the chunks because the eggplant will be pretty soft and smooshy. Also once we combine it with the sauce it will get more mashed up.

A lot of recipes say you should get rid of the skin, but I like it and think it add a nice texture to the dish. So if you are keeping it, make sure it is chopped into bite size chunks.

Cook:

Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat.

Add cumin seeds.

Once popped add the onions and fry till soft and translucent.

Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Add the tomatoes and chili pwd, turmeric pwd, coriander pwd, cumin pwd and garam masala and stir continuously so spices don't stick to bottom of pan. If this happens, sprinkle a little water. Cook for 5-7 mins.

Add roasted eggplant and mix evenly so all ingredients are combined.

Add cilantro and salt, cook for a few more minutes.

ENJOY with rice or rotis!