Bagara Baingan Eggplant Curry For Biryani

About Bagara Baingan

Bagara is the Hyderabadi word for tempering or “tadka,” which is simply blooming spices in hot oil. While Baingan is the Hindi word for brinjal (a.k.a. aubergine or eggplant). As such, Bagara Baingan roughly translates to “eggplant that is tempered.” This popular vegetarian recipe from the Hyderabadi cuisine is often made to serve as a side dish with Biryani, Roti, or even plain rice. This Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan recipe has 3 of my favorite ingredients in them: coconut, sesame seeds, and peanuts. To make this preparation, roasted spices, nuts and seeds are ground to a creamy fine consistency which is then cooked further with sautéed eggplants. This recipe is adapted from Chandra Padmanabhan’s cookbook Simply South: Traditional Vegetarian Cooking. This book has many good recipes including varieties of sambar, rasam, vegetables and rice recipes. India is a country with multiple cuisines that are separated by regional differences in climate, topography, as well as cultures and traditions. We all know that the North Indian cuisine is different from South Indian cuisine, but even the cuisines of the different parts of a region can vary widely, like how the cuisine of Karnataka is different from Kerala cuisine. Differences in culinary traditions can even vary amongst the same state, like Andhra Pradesh which has both the Andhra Cuisine and the Hyderabadi Cuisine, which are totally different from one another. Thanks to the Nizams of Hyderabad who invented the rich and elaborate Hyderabadi cuisine, this style of cooking is very popular both within India as well as in the world at large. The Bagara Baingan recipe is one such gem from this cuisine.

How to Make Bagara Baingan

As you can imagine, a dish like Bagara Baingan needs some prep work to get a few elements ready before you finally assemble them all. I’m sure you’ll be able to master the recipe, especially if you follow along with my step-by-step instructions and photos below. Here’s how it’s done:

Prep Ingredients

1. Rinse 250 grams small-sized baingan (a.k.a. small aubergines or eggplants) 2 to 3 times in water. Drain the water. Ensure to make the recipe with only the smaller variety of eggplants. Larger-sized eggplants that we use to make baingan bharta or baba ganoush, do not work well in this recipe.
2. Quarter the brinjals and soak them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain after 15 to 20 minutes, discarding the salted water. Soaking them in salted water gets rid of any bitterness and also prevents discoloration. I usually chop the eggplants, but you can keep them whole (with the stems) – cut them on four sides from the base till you reach the top part. Pull apart the cut sides and check for worms or any insects. Soak the brinjals that are not infested in the salted water.
3. Meanwhile, measure out the following spices and set them aside:

2 tablespoons raw peanuts2 tablespoons white sesame seeds1 teaspoon poppy seeds – skip if you do not have1 teaspoon coriander seeds1 teaspoon cumin seeds2 inch cinnamon stick2 to 3 cloves1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)½ teaspoon black peppercorns½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera) 1 black cardamom

Roast and Make Masala

4. Heat a frying pan or skillet and keep the flame to a low. Add all of the above spices, nuts and seeds. Stir and begin to roast them till they become aromatic and light brown.
5. When the spices become light brown, add 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut to the same pan.
6. Roast the spices with the coconut. A lovely aroma of roasted spices and coconut will fill your kitchen. Keep stirring non-stop.
7. Roast till the coconut becomes light golden. Transfer to a plate and let this mixture cool.
8. Once the spices, nuts, seeds and coconut mixture cools down, then add this mixture to a grinder or a high-speed blender.
9. Also add the following ingredients (together with the roasted mixture) to the grinder or the high-speed blender:

½ cup chopped onions2 teaspoons chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger, peeled and roughly chopped1 teaspoon chopped garlic or 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves2 to 3 green chilies, chopped1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves1 tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind

Grind to a fine and smooth paste with ½ to ⅔ cup water. Ensure that there are no chunks of any of the ingredients in the masala paste. Note: If you prefer your gravy be less sour, add only ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind.

Cook Eggplant

10. In a pan heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the quartered brinjals.
11. Next add salt as required.
12. Sauté on a low heat for 10 to 12 minutes stirring as needed.
13. This is how the brinjal looks after 12 minutes. They should become tender. Use a knife or fork to check for doneness; the knife should slide easily through them.
14. Remove the cooked eggplant and set aside.

Make Bagara Baingan

15. In another pan (or in the same pan, if you want to cut down on dishes) heat 2 tablespoons oil.
16. Lower the heat. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them splutter. At this point you can also add ½ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji) and 10 to 12 fenugreek seeds.
17. Now add the ground coconut masala paste. Also add ¼ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or ½ teaspoon red chilli powder and 8 to 9 curry leaves. Note that the adding red chilli powder and curry leaves are optional.
18. Mix well and begin to sauté the masala paste on low to medium-low heat.
19. This is how the masala paste looks after sautéing for 10 minutes. As you can see, it has thickened. The oil will also begin to separate.
20. Sauté the paste stirring often until the oil starts to release from the sides of the masala. Sautéing the masala paste takes about a total of 9 to 10 minutes.
21. Now add 1.5 cups water.
22. Stir and mix thoroughly.
23. Add salt as required.
24. Add the cooked brinjals to the curry.
25. Stir and mix well. Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes more, or till the curry thickens.
26. You should see some specks of oil floating on the top.
27. Check the taste of eggplant curry and add more salt if required. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
28. Serve Bagara Baingan hot with Roti, Paratha, Poori, rice, or, more traditionally, with Hyderabadi Biryani. You can also pair it with Jeera Rice or Veg Pulao or Ghee Rice. Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Baingan Bharta Recipe (Indian Mashed Eggplant) Brinjal Curry (Baingan Masala) Gutti Vankaya | Gutti Vankaya Kura | Gutti Vankaya Curry Begun Bhaja (Baingan Bhaja) This Bagara Baingan recipe from the archives first published in April 2011 has been republished and updated on November 2022.

title: “Bagara Baingan Eggplant Curry For Biryani " ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-06” author: “Courtney Reichard”

About Bagara Baingan

Bagara is the Hyderabadi word for tempering or “tadka,” which is simply blooming spices in hot oil. While Baingan is the Hindi word for brinjal (a.k.a. aubergine or eggplant). As such, Bagara Baingan roughly translates to “eggplant that is tempered.” This popular vegetarian recipe from the Hyderabadi cuisine is often made to serve as a side dish with Biryani, Roti, or even plain rice. This Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan recipe has 3 of my favorite ingredients in them: coconut, sesame seeds, and peanuts. To make this preparation, roasted spices, nuts and seeds are ground to a creamy fine consistency which is then cooked further with sautéed eggplants. This recipe is adapted from Chandra Padmanabhan’s cookbook Simply South: Traditional Vegetarian Cooking. This book has many good recipes including varieties of sambar, rasam, vegetables and rice recipes. India is a country with multiple cuisines that are separated by regional differences in climate, topography, as well as cultures and traditions. We all know that the North Indian cuisine is different from South Indian cuisine, but even the cuisines of the different parts of a region can vary widely, like how the cuisine of Karnataka is different from Kerala cuisine. Differences in culinary traditions can even vary amongst the same state, like Andhra Pradesh which has both the Andhra Cuisine and the Hyderabadi Cuisine, which are totally different from one another. Thanks to the Nizams of Hyderabad who invented the rich and elaborate Hyderabadi cuisine, this style of cooking is very popular both within India as well as in the world at large. The Bagara Baingan recipe is one such gem from this cuisine.

How to Make Bagara Baingan

As you can imagine, a dish like Bagara Baingan needs some prep work to get a few elements ready before you finally assemble them all. I’m sure you’ll be able to master the recipe, especially if you follow along with my step-by-step instructions and photos below. Here’s how it’s done:

Prep Ingredients

1. Rinse 250 grams small-sized baingan (a.k.a. small aubergines or eggplants) 2 to 3 times in water. Drain the water. Ensure to make the recipe with only the smaller variety of eggplants. Larger-sized eggplants that we use to make baingan bharta or baba ganoush, do not work well in this recipe.
2. Quarter the brinjals and soak them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain after 15 to 20 minutes, discarding the salted water. Soaking them in salted water gets rid of any bitterness and also prevents discoloration. I usually chop the eggplants, but you can keep them whole (with the stems) – cut them on four sides from the base till you reach the top part. Pull apart the cut sides and check for worms or any insects. Soak the brinjals that are not infested in the salted water.
3. Meanwhile, measure out the following spices and set them aside:

2 tablespoons raw peanuts2 tablespoons white sesame seeds1 teaspoon poppy seeds – skip if you do not have1 teaspoon coriander seeds1 teaspoon cumin seeds2 inch cinnamon stick2 to 3 cloves1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)½ teaspoon black peppercorns½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera) 1 black cardamom

Roast and Make Masala

4. Heat a frying pan or skillet and keep the flame to a low. Add all of the above spices, nuts and seeds. Stir and begin to roast them till they become aromatic and light brown.
5. When the spices become light brown, add 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut to the same pan.
6. Roast the spices with the coconut. A lovely aroma of roasted spices and coconut will fill your kitchen. Keep stirring non-stop.
7. Roast till the coconut becomes light golden. Transfer to a plate and let this mixture cool.
8. Once the spices, nuts, seeds and coconut mixture cools down, then add this mixture to a grinder or a high-speed blender.
9. Also add the following ingredients (together with the roasted mixture) to the grinder or the high-speed blender:

½ cup chopped onions2 teaspoons chopped ginger or 1 inch ginger, peeled and roughly chopped1 teaspoon chopped garlic or 4 to 5 medium-sized garlic cloves2 to 3 green chilies, chopped1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves1 tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind

Grind to a fine and smooth paste with ½ to ⅔ cup water. Ensure that there are no chunks of any of the ingredients in the masala paste. Note: If you prefer your gravy be less sour, add only ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind.

Cook Eggplant

10. In a pan heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the quartered brinjals.
11. Next add salt as required.
12. Sauté on a low heat for 10 to 12 minutes stirring as needed.
13. This is how the brinjal looks after 12 minutes. They should become tender. Use a knife or fork to check for doneness; the knife should slide easily through them.
14. Remove the cooked eggplant and set aside.

Make Bagara Baingan

15. In another pan (or in the same pan, if you want to cut down on dishes) heat 2 tablespoons oil.
16. Lower the heat. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them splutter. At this point you can also add ½ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji) and 10 to 12 fenugreek seeds.
17. Now add the ground coconut masala paste. Also add ¼ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or ½ teaspoon red chilli powder and 8 to 9 curry leaves. Note that the adding red chilli powder and curry leaves are optional.
18. Mix well and begin to sauté the masala paste on low to medium-low heat.
19. This is how the masala paste looks after sautéing for 10 minutes. As you can see, it has thickened. The oil will also begin to separate.
20. Sauté the paste stirring often until the oil starts to release from the sides of the masala. Sautéing the masala paste takes about a total of 9 to 10 minutes.
21. Now add 1.5 cups water.
22. Stir and mix thoroughly.
23. Add salt as required.
24. Add the cooked brinjals to the curry.
25. Stir and mix well. Simmer for 6 to 7 minutes more, or till the curry thickens.
26. You should see some specks of oil floating on the top.
27. Check the taste of eggplant curry and add more salt if required. Add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Mix well.
28. Serve Bagara Baingan hot with Roti, Paratha, Poori, rice, or, more traditionally, with Hyderabadi Biryani. You can also pair it with Jeera Rice or Veg Pulao or Ghee Rice. Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Baingan Bharta Recipe (Indian Mashed Eggplant) Brinjal Curry (Baingan Masala) Gutti Vankaya | Gutti Vankaya Kura | Gutti Vankaya Curry Begun Bhaja (Baingan Bhaja) This Bagara Baingan recipe from the archives first published in April 2011 has been republished and updated on November 2022.