Baingan Bahaar is one of my hubby's speciality dishes which I love a lot. This curry is made with small brinjals and has a tinge of sweetness, tanginess and spice, which makes it a great accompaniment with rotis. Whenever this curry is made at our home, we lose track of how many rotis we've eaten - it's that addictive of a dish. Special thanks to my hubby for sharing this recipe.
Preparation:
Ingredients:
Peanuts - 2 handful
Poppy Seeds - 2 tsp
Gurala (optional) - 2 tsp (This spice is only available and used in Karnataka state in India)
Dry coconut powder - 1/2 cup
Red Chilly - 2
Tamarind - medium round ball
Garlic - 3 pods
Joshi Bagara Baingan Powder (optional) - 3 tsp (You get this at Joshi Brothers in Hyderabad)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 10 tsp
Brinjal (small eggplants) - 6 (slit into 4 parts)
Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
Hing - a pinch
Ginger - 1in (grated)
Onion - 1
Turmeric Powder - 0.5 tsp
Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 1 cube
Curry Leaves - 6
Aayis Gurala Masala (optional) - 2 tsp
Recipe:
1. Roast peanut, poppy seeds, gurala, red chilly, tamarind and garlic. Once they are slightly brown, add dry coconut powder, joshi powder and salt.
2. Once the above ingredients are roasted, grind it into a powder.
3. Next, heat 5 tsp of oil in a pan.
4. Add the brinjal and fry it. Add salt and cover it with a lid to help it cook faster. Once cooked, keep it aside.
5. In another pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then, add hing, grated ginger, Onion. Salt, Turmeric powder, Red chilly powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
7. Add the dry peanut powder made in step 2.
8. Put water and add jaggery. Grind it into a paste.
9. In another pan, heat oil, add curry leaves, add the paste made above. Let it cook.
10. Once the paste cooks, add fried brinjal and Salt. Then add Aayi's gurala masala. Cover with a lid and cook.
Serve it hot with chapathis.
