Sunday 11 June 2017

Baingan ka Bartha ~Roasted Aubergine Curry


I have inherited my passion for food from my father, he was a real lover of good food and relished the idea of cooking, eating and feeding others too. My family originate from India but my father immigrated to East Africa when he was a young lad to seek his fortune. In East Africa he worked hard and set his business in a very small town, where he had a grocery and hardware shop with a petrol pump. Travellers used to stop to fill up and my father was always hospitable and invited many of them to share lunch/ dinner with our family. His heart was so generous that we were used to having total strangers at our dinner table sharing our meals. My mother was an excellent cook and between both my parents, they had a great understanding of food and we enjoyed many elaborate feasts.

On festive days it was common practice that my parents hosted large parties in our back yard for all the neighbours and friends. My mother with the other ladies from the neighbourhood would cook big pans of dhals, curries, chapatis and sweet dishes and there would be mountains of food to enjoy and devour by all.

One of my fathers favourite dishes was Baingan ka Bartha or traditionally in Gujarati cuisine it is known as Orro. This dish is created by rubbing large aubergine with oil, pricking them and then roasting them on an open file till the skin is charred. The charcoal flavour imparted by the coals gave this dish a very aromatic and wonderful taste. The aubergines once cooked are cooled and the charred skin is removed. The flesh is mashed up and cooked with tomatoes, ginger, garlic and onions and it is one of the best Indian curries I have had to date, I am not surprised its was my fathers favourite too.


Photo Credit http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/

Jagruti of jagrutiscookingodyssey, a lovely friend and fellow  food blogger has request some bloggers to create their fathers favourite recipe in time for Fathers day which is on Sunday 18th June this year. As a tribute and in remembrance to my father I have created his favourite dish Baingan ka Bartha which translates to aubergine mash!!! Unfortunately the weather did not permit cooking the aubergines on an open fire so I did the next best thing by roasting them in the oven. For best results try and cook the aubergines on charcoal. You can also add spinach to the aubergines to give it different twist as in Mina's Spinach and Aubergine Mash recipe or you can make these delicious Stuffed aubergines with bulger and buckwheat.





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Baingan ka Bartha (Roasted Aubergine Curry)
Char-grilled aubergines cooked with ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes.

Ingredients:
  • 2 Large Aubergines
  • 1 White Medium Onion (finely chopped)
  • 4 Spring Onions (finely chopped whites and green)
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
  • 2 Green Chillies (cut into slits)
  • 4 Fresh Tomatoes (diced)
  • 4 sprigs Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Chilli powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Tomato paste
  • For garnish 1 red chilli finely chopped and 1 spring onion finely chopped.

Method:

1. Wash and prick the aubergines with a fork. Rub the aubergines with a little oil.2. Place the aubergines on a tray and place the tray in a hot oven for 30 mins (200 degrees C) or until the aubergines are soft and charred, you may require to turn them half way to get an even cook. (Alternatively the aubergines can be cooked on a barbecue) 3. Remove aubergines from oven and peel the skin off and discard, finely chop up the flesh. Keep aside.4. In a pan heat the oil, next add the mustard seeds.5. Add the onions and garlic and cook till onions are translucent.6. Add the chopped tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder and coriander powder. Mix well.7.Cook the mixture until the tomatoes have softened and oil starts to separate, add tomato puree and mix well.8.Add the roasted aubergine and spring onions and mix well into the sauce.9. Add 2 table spoons water and cook for 5 minutes until the spices have infused into the  aubergines.10.Transfer to serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander, red chopped chillies and spring onions
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Serves 4


For other Fathers day recipes created by fellow bloggers do check the links below:
Misti Doi
Puran Puri
Masala Baigan
Masala Upma
Sugar-free Mango, Basil and Cashew Yogurt Popsicles 
Sweet Vermicelli with Jaggery
Lotus stem Kofta

68 comments:

  1. My dad would love this dish, too!! I agree on your thoughts about posting a kind word, too!

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    1. Christina, I think as bloggers we appreciate interaction and appreciation of our work and when some one takes the time out to leave a comment is the most wonderful feeling of appreciation.

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  2. Lovely recipe for fathers day! Im Sure my husband would love this!

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  3. I love the taste of carry but never tried aubergine with carry. Looks so delicious and i think is a great match with the rice.

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    1. Aubergines cooked in spices are absolutely delicious, the spongy flesh soaks up all the flavour.

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  4. Such a wonderful tribute to your Dad, I have realized since knowing you that all the great qualities you mention on your father is also ingrained in you. You seem to have same generosity and feelings about others, that's coming straight from my heart. Baingan Bhartha happened to be my dad's favourite too, and I simply love it. Thank you for sending this recipe to my event.

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    1. Jagruti, thankyou for your beautiful and kind words, it was a pleasure to create and send this recipe to your event.

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  5. A curry is actually one of the only ways that I will eat aubergine. That and babaganoush. This sounds so lovely and vibrant.

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    1. Thankyou Danii it is indeed a lovely vegetable to cook with and its texture absorbs the spices really well.

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  6. Oh yum that looks super delicious :-) I'll definitely save this for a later try, love curry :-) thanks for sharing this with us!

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    1. Jasmin, you will definitely adore this recipe.

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  7. This looks so fresh and tasty. I sometimes don't like curry, but this looks like a winner.

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  8. Sounds like you had a very busy dinner table with all the strangers that joined your family! What a lovely father's day dish.

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  9. Yuuuuuum! Wouldn't mind having this for lunch some day, it looks delicious.
    Have an amazing week!

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  10. This looks great. I love curry and this one looks very good

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  11. My hubby loves it too.. delicious sabzi.

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  12. Oh what a beautiful idea with such a lovely message! I also love this recipe it looks amazing x

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  13. In my home country we have a dish in which we roast the aubergine the same as in your recipe, on an open fire, and then mash it. But we don't make it in a curry, we mix it with mayo and a few spices and eat it as a spread, on bread. It's delicious! So I can imagine how delicious your recipe is as well!

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  14. ooo i need to try this to see why it's the best curry youve had! i love aubergines too

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  15. I've been trying to find a curry that my wife would like and be willing to try. This might just be the one!

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  16. What a lovely idea to share recipes for fathers on fathers day, I love that. I know my husband would love this dish, he's a huge aubergine fan!

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  17. How lovely to make food that was one of your Father's favourites. My children's Grandfather comes from Punjab, and I really enjoy making traditional foods from the region.
    Your recipe has delicious flavours in it, and I can see why it was a favourite. There is a talent in cooking aubergines, and this just looks perfect.

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  18. My children's Grandfather comes from Punjab, and I really enjoy making traditional foods from the region.
    Your recipe has delicious flavours in it, and I can see why it was a favourite. There is a talent in cooking aubergines, and this just looks perfect.

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  19. Oh yum this sounds like the most delicious meal to make out of a roasted aubergine! You are such a talented cook Nayna!

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  20. Even as a vegetarian I don't cook with aubergine enough! This looks absolutely delicious, I will have to try it out!

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  21. I love curry, but haven't had this combination. This looks like something I need to try!

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  22. Your father sounds like a wonderful man. It's great that you have such good memories of lovely family occasions and of such a hospitable man.
    I'm not a big fan of curry so I probably won't make this but I'm so pleased you enjoy it so much and you feel a connection with your father through it.
    V <3
    http://sirvikalot.wordpress.com

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  23. What a delicious curry, it looks so full of flavour. I am sure hubby would love it! :)

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  24. what a beautiful tribute to your Father. This looks absolutely delicious, I am a big fan of curries and love aubergine but have thought to make a curry with them. I have saved this to make next week now, fantastic post! :) xx

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  25. I do love curry and this looks delicious. It looks full of flavour and life x

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  26. What a beautiful back story! I always love to know a bit more of where a persons passion comes from and it's beautiful to see that your dad had a big influence. The recipe looks mouthwatering, too. x

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  27. I've never attempted to make a curry myself as I am very fussy with spices but this sounds tasty x

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  28. It sounds like your dad was such a wonderful guy. And it's no wonder he liked this particular dish - it looks incredible! I'm super hungry right now :)

    Louise x

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  29. another great recipe to share to my mum hehe

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  30. That sounds so good Nayna! I love aubergine especially over a fire or roasted as it gives it such a smoky flavour. I bet this curry tastes incredible. I love to read about favourite family dishes like this x

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  31. Baingan bartha is one of my favourite things to make with aubergines, and is always something I order whenever I'm in Britain, and go out for an Indian meal. I love it so much. But I didn't know it simply means 'aubergine mash' - that's brilliant!

    Beautiful blog post and photos, Nayna! xx

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  32. This looks yummy :) and actually looks quite easy to make! I would have to lie about there being Aubergines in there though as my partner hates them

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  33. I only like aubergine when the are not cooked too much, otherwise they remind of slugs. But I must admit, this does look really nice and something that I could see myself eating quite often

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  34. What a fabulous idea to create recipes in time for Fathers day - this looks and sounds absolutely delicious

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  35. Oh this sounds lovely!!! I love aubergine so I imagine this tastes amazing!

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  36. Oh, how lovely to find a new blog with such great recipes! Just awhile ago we were discussing eggplant as we Aussies call aubergine and different recipes. This sounds perfect & I love that you've been inspired by your family & Dad's favorite dishes too.

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  37. Sounds and looks like a good recipe I've never had a aubergine curry before.

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  38. Never know what to do with Aubergines so this is great :) x

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  39. This is one of my favourite curries of all time and I make it exactly the same way! Unfortunately mine doesn't look quite as pretty :)

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  40. This dish looks so yummy! I've never actually tried Aubergine - can you believe that?! xo

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  41. I really love aubergines, so this curry is right up my street. The spicier the better for me! x

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  42. Yum this look delish! The weather atm is too hot for a curry - but my gosh I'm bookmarking this. xx

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  43. Nayna my dad too would bring so many guests home for lunch or dinner. I think back then families and friends had a great time cooking and socialising. Delicious baigan bharta and love the photos.

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  44. I love aubergines and am fond of curry so a recipe that blends the two is just perfect for me. If the sunny weather lasts i might even get to roast the aubergine over charcoal.

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  45. This looks lovely, I like eggplant so will have to make this one day

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  46. What a lovely legacy to inherit from your Dad. Food can bring back such memories of childhood. Brilliant way to use Aubergines which can otherwise be quite dull.

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  47. Dishes created with someone in mind are always the best. I'm a huge fan of potlucks, and love families that have large gatherings in their back yards. For the dish, Ireally liked reading about the process of imparting the charcoal flavor with the coals. Thank-you for yet another great recipe! x

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  48. This curry looks soooo delicious, what a lovely idea to re-create your fathers favourite recipe for Fathers day :)

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  49. I don't know if I can pull this off and make a good one like your's but I would love to try this one. So nice of you to keep this and continue this from your Father. Such a nice talent that you inherit from him. Happy Father's day to your Dad!

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  50. What a lovely tribute to your father and I like that he passed down his love of cooking to you. Bless you what a lovely dish x

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  51. What lovely memories of your parents and a great tribute to your dad. We love baigan bhartha and the way you make it looks really delicious. My dad too loved oro and rotla.

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  52. Bharta is a staple at my home. My family specially Papa really enjoys it. Lovely share.

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  53. Your father passed on a great talent, this recipe sounds incredible

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  54. This looks so good for a family dinner!

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  55. What a fantastic aubergine curry. I have lovely memories of my parents love of food too

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  56. I have to be honest, I've never been a big proponent of eggplant, but I do love curry. That said, you've got so many flavors in this dish that I'm sure it's a winner! I'd love to try it.

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  57. Mmm this sounds delish with all the different spices. Would love to try this!

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  58. I've never actually tried Aubergine! How ridiculous is that! This looks amazing though, all the spices and flavours sound yummy together!

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  59. Always looking for recipes with aubergine
    Perfect for winter warmth

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