Fire roasted Baigan Bharta & Potato Wedges

Recipe

Potato wedges are not part of the traditional recipe for Baigan Bharta so if you are not in mood for them, you can opt to leave them out. You can also try variations with peas, corn, bell peppers or even Paneer/tofu with it.

For The Baigan Bharta

• 1 big eggplant (about 500gms). I use the Indian big eggplant for this dish. You can also choose some other variety but try to use one big instead of many small ones as they take more time to roast on open flame.
• onion-1 medium, finely chopped
• tomatoes-2 big , finely chopped
• Mustard Oil-2 tablespoons
•  cumin seeds- 1 tsp
•  asafoetida/ hing- 1/2 tsp
• ginger paste- 1 tsp
• garlic paste- 1 tsp
• turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
• salt to taste
• red chili powder, to taste
• powdered coriander seeds- 1 tablespoon
• dry mango powder- 1 tsp
• garam masala- 1 tsp
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

For Potato Wedges

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Method

Roasting the eggplants –

I have a coil stove at home so i used that but traditional flame gas burners works best for it. If you have a barbecue grill, you can use that as well. Alternatively, you can also wrap the eggplants in Aluminium foil and broil in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Once the eggplants are fire roasted, remove and keep on a plate. Let this cool down completely. Now, peel the skins off from the eggplant and reserve in a bowl.  Using a fork, mash the eggplant flesh into a pulp. Keep aside.

Take a non stick pan. In it, pour the oil and bring to heat. Once the oil is hot, add in asafoetida, cumin seeds and let it splutter. Now, add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are golden brown and caramalized.

Now, add in the chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, red chili powder and green chili. Mix and saute for a couple of minutes.

Once the tomatoes start to wilt and release juices, cover the pan with a lid and bring the flame to simmer. Let this cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove the lid and check the tomatoes, they should start to reduce and the oil should start to separate.

Now, add in the eggplant mash and mix with the tempering. Let it cook on medium flame till the eggplant mash start to attain roasted color, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Add in the garam masala and dry mango powder on top. mix . Sprinkle chopped coriander on top. The baigan Bharta is ready.

Preparing Potato Wedges –

Parboil the potato wedges in the microwave or using the steamer till Al-dente.

Take a skillet. Add in the oil and bring to heat. Add in the potato wedges and sprinkle salt on them. Cook on medium high flame till the wedges get crunchy, about 7-10 minutes. Serve over Baigan Bharta.

Note – I have used Potato wedges on top of the Baigan bharta to bring in some crunch and  texture to this mash dish. You can also add the potatoes to this dish after the tomatoes are cooked along with the eggplant mash.