Baingan Bharta (Smoky Mashed Eggplant)
Whole eggplants charred directly over a flame until smoky and collapsed, then mashed and cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic and green chili. Rustic, smoky and deeply savory.
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Start your free weekContinue with free accessChar the eggplants
Rub the eggplants with a little oil, pierce a few times and roast directly over a gas flame (or under a very hot grill) for 15–20 minutes, turning, until the skin is blackened and the flesh is completely soft.
Peel and mash
Cover with a bowl for 5 minutes to steam, then peel off the charred skin and mash the flesh roughly.
Cook the masala
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Combine
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Char the eggplants
Rub the eggplants with a little oil, pierce a few times and roast directly over a gas flame (or under a very hot grill) for 15–20 minutes, turning, until the skin is blackened and the flesh is completely soft.
Peel and mash
Cover with a bowl for 5 minutes to steam, then peel off the charred skin and mash the flesh roughly.
Cook the masala
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Combine
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Roasting vegetables directly in the embers of a fire is one of the oldest cooking methods, and eggplant takes on a wonderful smokiness when cooked this way. 'Bharta' means mashed.
Punjab's version is cooked with onions and tomatoes; Bihar's baingan chokha is mixed raw with mustard oil and garlic; Bengal's begun pora is similar.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Smoky, rustic and vegan, baingan bharta shows how much flavour fire alone can give a vegetable.
💡 Fun Fact
Eggplant is native to the Indian subcontinent and has been cultivated there for thousands of years.
Punjab, also Bengal and Bihar
30.90°N, 75.86°E
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