Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan - Baby Eggplant Curry

Bagara Baingan or baby eggplant curry is a traditional dish from Hyderabad served with Biriyani. Ground peanut, coconut and sesame seeds slow cooked in tamarind water and spices gives it a very rich texture. It tastes delicious with chapathi and rice too.

Ingredients:

Baby Brinjal: 8-10
Peanuts: 1 cup
Dry Coconut: 2 Tbsp
Sesame Seeds: 3 Tbsp
Cinnamon : 1 small stick
Cardamom: 3
Cloves: 3
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds : 1/4 tsp

Onion: 1 medium
Green chilli : 1
Curry leaves:  1 spring
Asafoetida/ Hing: 1 pinch
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tsp 
Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp
Cumin powder: 1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1 tsp
Jaggery : 1 tsp
Tamarind juice : 1/4 cup
Salt
Oil : 2 tbsp + for frying eggplants 

Method:
1. Dry roast peanuts on low flame for 2-3 mins then add sesame seeds and dry coconut and roast until sesame n coconut turn golden in color. 

2. Put it in a blender and add 1/2 cup water and grind to a slight coarse paste.

3. Slit the baby eggplants in the centre to ¾ th keeping the stems. Make another slit making + mark.

4. Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the eggplants until they turn soft. Keep aside until needed.

5. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok, add cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.

6. Then add mustard seeds once it splutters add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds and sauté for 30 seconds.

7. Add chopped onion, hing, curry leaves and green chilli and fry until onions are cooked well.

8. Next add ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.

9. Add turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder and mix well.

10. Add 1/2 cup water and salt and bring to boil.

11. Now add the ground peanut,coconut and sesame seeds paste and mix well.

12. Cook it covered on low flame until the oil separates, keep stirring the gravy so that it doesnt stick to the bottom

13. Add tamarind water and jaggery and cook on a very low flame until the gravy is thickned to the desired consistency.

14. Add fried eggplants to the gravy and mix gently.

15. Close the lid and cook for another 5 minutes and turn off the gas.

16. Serve hot with chapathi or any flavored rice of your choice. 

Notes:

1. Do not grind peanut, coconut and sesame to fine paste, it will take longer to cook.

2. Keep the flame low and keep stirring otherwise the gravy will stick to the bottom and burn.

3. Cover with the lid as the gravy will splutter once it starts boiling.