Bengan Bharta Indian Eggplant Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.
• Mix ginger garlic paste, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Steps:

• First, roast the eggplant. Put the oven at 450 degrees. Pierce the eggplants with a fork about ten times each. Cover lightly in oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 30 min to an hour- however long it takes for the skin to wrinkle but not burn, and make crackling sounds as it bakes.
• Allow eggplant to cool enough to handle. Remove the outer skin and either mash completely, or use one of those dicer machines and dice fine.
• In a large sauce pan, heat the vegetable oil, put in the cumin/mustard seeds and asefoitida, or if using my weird mix mentioned in the description, do not add the spice yet.
• Either way, add the onion'/garlic and saute until golden. If using my spice mix, add to diced tomatoes and ketchup and mix in a cup.
• Add tomato spice mix and cook 2 min on medium-low.
• Add chopped/mashed eggplant and a teaspoon of water IF needed (you want a thick sauce). Add green onions and 1/2 the cilantro.
• Cook on medium low for 10 min, stir occasionally.
• Taste, and if needed, cook on low an additional 5 - 10 minutes, stirring and adding water if needed.
• Add remaining cilantro and if desired, about 1/8 tsp lemon juice to brighten the flavor.
• Serve over basmati rice or with naan bread.

Steps:

• Prick the eggplant with a thin-blade knife. Grill over or next to very high heat, turning as necessary until the skin is blackened and the eggplant collapses. Or broil, or roast on a heated cast-iron pan in the hottest possible oven. It will take about 20 minutes.
• When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel (this will be easy) and trim away the hard stem. Chop or mash in a bowl, with lime juice.
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and chiles and cook for another minute. Add the tomato, turmeric and salt. Cook until the tomato is soft, 5 minutes or so.
• Stir in the eggplant purée and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and garam masala and turn off the heat. Serve hot with warm chapati bread or pita, or over rice.