Today's recipe is the Bagara Baingan recipe (eggplant gravy) which is a popular dish from a southern state of India. We make this with a particular variety of eggplant called the Indian eggplant. They are small, short, and dark purple in color.
Why does the recipe for Bagara Baingan work?
- A great dish to make with eggplants and a vegetarian's delight.
- The special gravy made with coconut, groundnut, and spices goes well with rotis or wheat bread and rice.
- Great for special occasions and get-togethers, and your guests will love this dish. Serve along with bhindi made with bhindi aloo recipe, veg malai kofta, ghee rice, or vegetable biryani layered, and you have a grand menu.
- Make this dish in advance and refrigerate; the eggplants will nicely soak in the spices and gravy.
How to make Bagara Baingan?
Sautee eggplants
In the preparation of this dish, dry and slit the eggplants after you wash them. They can be directly fried or sauteed in oil as is. You can even stuff a little spice like red chili powder, turmeric, and salt in the slits ( optional), before frying to enhance the flavor. Keep this aside.
Grind to paste
Roast peanuts, freshly grated coconut, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds grind to a smooth paste and keep aside. Take care not to burn when roasting the coconut-groundnut mixture. This will be used later in the recipe.
Eggplant Gravy
Add chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. After the raw smell disappears add
the spices cumin, fennel, coriander, red chili, turmeric, and salt and mix well. Add the coconut ground paste earlier and mix well. Add tamarind, salt, and sugar, and mix well so that the gravy is smooth. Once it starts to boil, add the eggplants and cook until they are well done. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Enjoy this dish with white rice or rotis and makes a very comforting and delicious meal. If you like this recipe with eggplants, you may also love another recipe with mashed eggplants called baingan bartha.
Please read on for the full recipe for Bagara baingan
Bagara Baingan (Eggplants in sesame peanut coconut sauce)
Ingredients
First set of ingredients (curry)
- 10 -15 eggplants
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 6 tbsp oil
- 3 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 4 slit green chillies
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 lemon sized tamarind juice squeezed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup coriander leaves chopped
Second set of ingredients (paste)
- 8 tbsp peanuts
- 6 tbsp coconut frozen or fresh grated
- 4 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
Instructions
Paste Preparation
- In a pan ,dry roast grated coconut, groundnuts, poppy seeds and sesame seeds by constantly stirring it on medium to low flame taking care not to burn
- After about 5 to 6 minutes ,when you get a nice aroma switch off the flame.Cool and grind the contents to a fine paste using very little water. Keep aside.
Baingan Bagara Curry preparation
- In a deep bottomed pan, heat oil .Sautee the eggplants which are slit. You can also optionally choose to spice the eggplants with a little red chilli powder,turmeric and salt.
- In a deep bottomed pan , heat oil and add mustard , and sesame.
- Add slit green chilies, curry leaves and sautee.
- Add chopped onions and cook until translucent .Add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell disappears.
- Add spices cumin, fennel, coriander, red chili, turmeric , salt and mix well.
- Add ground coconut mixture and coat well
- Add about 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil.
- Add the fried egg plants to this sauce .
- Add tamarind juice, sugar and easy garam masala
- Cook well and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Nutrition
I love Baigan. This dish is looking yummy.
Thank you so much, am sure you will love this dish made with baingan!
Those baby eggplants are adorable, but I never know what to do with them. Problem solved! This sauce is definitely a winner, I can already tell.
Yes rightly said, the sauce goes perfectly with the fried eggplants. Thank you for the lovely comments!
I love baigan in any form but somehow never tried with gravy. Your dish looks too good. I will definitely try this.
Thank you Deeksha, please do try and let me know how you like it!
I have a feeling I've heard of bagara baingan before but didn't have a clue what ingredients were involved. Admittedly, I've never actually eaten eggplant! What a sheltered life I've led...!
Great recipe 🙂
Caz xx
We also do not cook eggplants that often and usually I end up making a stir fried kind of dish. This however is a very flavorful dish and I also got to learn and make it couple of years ago. Thank you so much!
Absolutely love this Hyderabadi curry👍 and this is the most beautiful curry too💜
Thank you Jyo, yes indeed the curry is so flavorful and tasty.
Oh my.. This looks so delish!❤️❤️
Thank you so much!
What an interesting recipe! I tried eggplant once and didn't like it. This has so many added flavors I bet it is amazing and it is worth a try. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you Diane. I think you will not be disappointed by this recipe . Frying the eggplant , the spices used and the gravy base together gives it a special taste.I would love to hear how it turned out if you try making it.
Looks so delicious & tempting. I like these juicy eggplants in flavorful creamy sauce.
Thank you Megala . It is truly a delicious dish.
I have never tried bagara baingan. Sounds flavorful and delicious 😍😍
Thank you Smitha, hope you try it some time.!
Eggplants are so versatile. Good one. xx
Thank you Lorelle !
Nice one. I love eggplants very much
Thank you Deepa!