Baingan Bhaja with Mustard Oil

By Shruti Pagare · 2021-10-15

Let’s be honest, when you think of appetizing food, baingan is not the first thing that pops into your head. It’s hard to convince not just kids but even youngsters and adults to eat it.

We, therefore, thought of sharing a recipe that would change the way you think about baingan- Baingan Bhaja. The best part is that you can serve it with your favourite condiments to make your family eat it.

Let’s start!

Ingredients:

1 eggplant/baingan/brinjal
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp sugar (optional)
½ tsp garam masala (optional)
1 tsp amchur powder (optional)
Salt as per taste
5 tbsps rice flour
6 to 7 tbsps mustard oil

Recipe:

Slice the baingan in round shaped slices, not too thick or thin. Soak the slices in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the water and pat all the baingan slices dry.
Sprinkle turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, and sugar on the baingan slices.
If you want, you can use garam masala powder and amchur powder to add some tangy, tempting taste.
Mix the ground spices and spread uniformly all over the slices. Set them aside.
In a pan pour 3-4 tbsps of mustard oil and heat it. Take rice flour on a plate. Coat each slice with rice flour evenly and dust off the extra rice flour.
Put the slice in the mustard oil. Do not put too many slices together.
Fry on medium flame until they turn crisp and golden brown on both sides. Flip them a couple of times to fry them evenly.
As they are fried, place the baingan bhaja on paper towels so that the excess oil can be absorbed.

Serve baingan bhaja hot either with curd or a dip of your choosing. For best taste, have them hot as soon as they are pan-fried.

Points to Note:

Baingan slices discolours quickly once chopped. Hence, you should put the chopped slices in a bowl of water or use them right away.

Not all baingans are bitter. However, it is better to put the slices in salted water to remove their bitterness.

You can enjoy baingan bhaja as a snack with curd, chutney, or your favorite sauces. You can also stuff it between bread slices with onions, cheese et cetera and make a sandwich.

As a side dish, they pair amazingly with dal, rice, or just about any Indian meal!