Bagara Baingan

1. PRE PREPARATION FOR BAGARA BAINGAN:

● In a saucepan, dry roast peanuts until they turn light brown and begin to smell good.
● Now add sesame seeds in this hot pan and allow them to splutter. Add the coconut after switching off the heat. Saute the coconut until it smells good.
● Cool these ingredients and blend with little water to obtain a coarse or smooth paste. Set it aside.

2. STEPS TO FRY BAINGAN OR BRINJAL:

● Brinjals can be shallow-fried or deep-fried. To fry baingan, heat oil in a pan.
● As the oil is heating up, meanwhile, slit the brinjals into eight sections. Leave the stem intact.
● Fry the brinjals when the oil turns hot. Cook them until the skin becomes completely wilted. Upon wilting of the skin, set these brinjals aside.
● In a small bowl, transfer this hot oil, only leaving few teaspoons of oil in the pan.


3. STEPS TO MAKE BAGARA BAINGAN:

● In the same saucepan, add cumin and mustard.
● When mustard and cumin begin to sizzle, add chopped onion and curry leaves. Season it with salt. Fry the chopped onions.
● Next, fry ginger and garlic paste for a few minutes and then pour half a cup of water into the pan.
● The following step is to add all the flavorings, i.e., blended peanut mixture, red chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric. Stir everything nicely and cook on a medium flame.
● Filter the tamarind juice or paste and it into the pan. Stir well.
● As the gravy begins to bubble, add fried brinjals or baingan and stir. Add more water if you want to make the consistency of the gravy thin.
● Cover the saucepan and cook until the brinjal or baingan becomes completely wilted.
● Garnish bagara baingan with coriander leaves and stir. Serve this tasty meal with either biryani, pulao, or roti.