Ever since I came from India last year, anytime I mention or hear "baingan" I remember the Hyderabadi slang "baigan mein mila diye" which if translated in English goes like "to mix something in an eggplant" but the slang actually means along the lines of 'ruining something'. It's funny when someone with a proper Hyderabadi accent says it.
Anyway, the Aloo Baingan(Baingan Aloo; same thing) in this post has been the only dish that has been cooked the maximum number of times in my kitchen anytime I bring eggplants - whether the baby ones or the hulk ones. I originally tried the Aloo Baingan recipe from Madhura's Kitchen where she uses ketchup and that seemed unusual but the dish did taste great.
Although the procedure to cook Aloo Baigan Sabzi does seem lengthy in this post, it is actually a simple sabzi and I hope after trying this you will not tell me that you'baigan mein mila diye' ;-)
Aloo Baingan ki Sabzi Recipe
serves 4
basic idea from madhura's kitchen
Ingredients for Baingan Aloo:
1 Tbsp oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1cup diced potato (1 large potato)
1cup chopped onion (½ large onion)
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic (3-4 garlic cloves)
1 tsp green chili paste or 1 tsp red chili powder or a combination
1 tsp ginger – paste or finely chopped
1 cup diced eggplant, cut last minute (1-2 baby eggplant)
¼ tspturmeric powder
1tsp coriander powder
½ tspcumin powder
1 cup chopped tomatoes (2 medium tomatoes)
½ tspdry mango powder
¾ tspsalt
¼ tspsugar
2Tbsp chopped cilantro
Adjustsalt and spice levels to your taste.
How I make Aloo Baingan ki Sabji:
1. Heat oil in a medium pan. When hot, add mustard seeds and cover pan,let mustard seeds pop. Then add cumin seeds,let sizzle. Add peeled and dicedpotatoes, sauté and cover the pan 2-3 minutes to let potatoes soften a little. Add chopped onion + garlic + green chilipaste (if using) + ginger and sauté until onions turn translucent and potatoescook a little more until tender.
Note: If you use parboiled potatoes,you should start with onions, and then go to potatoes. But I did not have time to parboil potatoes,so I covered and cooked them first and then added other ingredients. If I added raw potatoes after sautéing onions,the onions would turn brown by the time potatoes became tender. Eggplants will not take as much time to cook as potatoes do, which is why we add them when potatoes are just about soft otherwise eggplants will get mashed until potatoes reach their cooking time.
2. Once the potatoes are tender and onions aregolden-brown, add the spices: turmeric powder + red chili powder (if using) +coriander powder + cumin powder along with diced eggplant. Mix it well for 30 seconds so that eggplantsand spices are cooked in oil but mix gently so as to not mash the eggplants.
Eggplants will not take as much time to cook as potatoes do, which is why we add them when potatoes are just about soft otherwise eggplants will get mashed until potatoes reach their cooking time.
3. Once all mixed, add the tomatoes + dry mangopowder + salt + sugar and cook the pan covered for 3-4 minutes until tomatoessoften, giving it a mix occasionally. Once the vegetables and spices are cooked and they retain their shape, mixthe chopped cilantro and give the now ready potato and eggplant sabji a splash ofgreen color.
4. BUT – in case at this point you see thepotatoes are not as soft and mashing the potato makes you feel they are notcooked or boiled well on the inside – add ½ cup or 1 cup water (no more thanthat), cover and cook 2-3 minutes until water evaporates (or if you want a curry/gravy dish you can let some water remain) and your vegetablesare cooked. Adding excess water is goingto take longer for your aloo baingan sabji to cook – and the longer you cook unnecessarilythe more nutrition you lose.
The onlydisadvantage of adding water after the cooking process is that your eggplantsmay get mashed because of the extra stirring, so if you are serving this aloo baingan dish to guests you would want it tolook good. But if you are eating this athome on your own – few mashed eggplants do not matter.
Serve yourAloo Baingan ki Sabji with roti, along with some sliced onions sprinkled withroasted cumin powder, salt, red chili powder, and salt … and raita (seasonedyogurt) on the side may be.
Meanwhile, other eggplant recipes on this blog:
Bharwan Baingan (Stuffed Eggplant)
Baingan Bharta (Mashed Eggplant)
Moussaka (Layered Eggplant)
Enjoy.
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