Bagara Baingan

This is an Andhra dish which has a nutty flavour mixed with a little bit of sweetness to it. Peanut paste is the base for this dish. Usually baby brinjals (eggplant) are used to cook this dish, however for my variant I have gone ahead with the big ones. With the addition of grated coconut, I have infused a little bit of a Kerala touch into this dish too. This dish is best tasted when served with plain rice/roti.

Ingredients

• 1 large brinjal (eggplant) cubed
• 2 tbsp. veg oil/peanut oil
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion medium sliced
• 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
• ¼ cup peanuts
• 2 heap tbsp. sesame seeds
• ½ cup grated coconut
• Lemon sized ball of tamarind
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 ½ tsp. chilli powder(or more)
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder
• 1 ½  tbsp. jaggery
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for 5 minutes.

In a deep bottom non-stick pan, dry roast the peanuts first and then the sesame seeds separately.

Grind the roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and grated coconut together with a little water to a fine paste.

In the same pan, add oil and fry the brinjals till soft. Keep aside.

Into the same pan add cumin seeds and fry for about one minute. Sauté the onion till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute or two. Add the paste and mix nicely. Add turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder. You can add salt or one veg stock cube. Mix completely. Into that add tamarind water and mix until the gravy is thick.

Add the fried brinjals and jaggery; cover and cook for about 5-6 minutes.

Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Best served with plain rice/ veg puloa.