Bagara baingan recipe | Hyderabadi bagara baingan for biryani

to roast and blend

• 2 tbsp. peanuts
• 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp. fresh coconut

to soak

• lemon sized ball of tamarind or tamarind paste as needed
• 3 tbsp water to soak tamarind

other ingredients

• 200 to 250 grams of brinjals / baingan
• oil as needed
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt as needed
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• pinch of turmeric
• coriander leaves few

1. Dry roast peanuts until they begin to smell good. Add sesame seeds and allow them to splutter. Switch off the heat and add coconut. Saute it in the hot pan till the coconut smells good. Cool these and blend with little water to a coarse or smooth paste as desired. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, brinjals can be deep fried or shallow fried. While the oil heats up, partially slit to 8 sections, leaving the stem intact. When the oil turns hot fry them until the skin looks wilted completely, meaning the brinjal is cooked. Set these aside.
3. Transfer the hot oil to a bowl and just retain a few tsp oil in the pan.
4. Add cumin and mustard to the pan. When they begin to sizzle, add onions, curry leaves and sprinkle salt.
5. Fry until the onions turn transparent.
6. Fry ginger garlic paste until the raw smell goes away.
7. Pour half a cup of water to the pan. Add the blended peanut mixture, red chili powder, garam masala and turmeric. Stir and begin to cook on a medium flame.
8. Filter the tamarind juice or paste and stir.
9. When the gravy begins to bubble well, add the fried brinjals and stir. Add more water if needed to bring the gravy to a consistency.
10. Cover and cook till the brinjal looks completely wilted or cooked.
11. Add coriander leaves. Stir and serve bagara baingan with biryani, pulao or roti.