Bagara Baingan

This one is synonymous to Hyderabadi biryani which is a favourite with all those who have tasted it. The biryani can also be made with vegetables and bagara baingan is served with it. Bagara means thadka (tempering).

Ingredients:

500g small round brinjals, 2 onions finely chopped. 2tbsp khus khus(poppy seeds), 2tbsp ground nuts, 6 cloves garlic, 3 green chiilis, 3 red chillis, 1 small piece ginger, 1 small piece dalchini(cinnamon), 5 cloves, 3 green elaichi(cardamom), one black elaichi and salt to taste.


For tempering:

 4 tbsp oil, ½ tsp jeera, tej patta(bay leaf).

Preparation:

1. Soak khus khus in a little water along with other spices except jeera and tej patta and keep aside. 
2. Roast the ground nuts and grind along with other soaked spices. 
3. Wash and slit the brinjals without fully separating.
4. Heat oil in a pan, put tej patta, jeera and chopped onion and fry till golden brown. 
5. To this add the ground spices, salt and add one cup water and leave it to simmer. 
6. After frying for 5-7 minutes, drop the baingans slowly in to the gravy and cook for a while, checking in between for it not to get burnt at the bottom. 
7. Cook till it is soft.

Serve hot with biryani or plain rice or roti.

Stuffed Baingan

Any stuffed vegetable is always welcome with all of us and more so with baingan. These can be purple ones or the variegated. The lighter in weight  are the tender lot and taste better.  When buying the brinjals check if there are any holes which are an indication for worms inside and can be avoided. Also they should be of same size so that they are uniformly cooked.

Ingredients:

500g brinjals, 2tbsp ground nuts, 2tbsp chana dal (Bengal gram) 2tsp urad dal (black gram), 1tsp coriander seeds, ¼ tsp methi (fenugreek seeds), ½ tsp jeera, ¼ tsp mustard seeds, 5 red chillis, 4 tsp oil and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. In a pan put 1 tsp oil and add all the dry ingredients leaving salt and brinjals. 
2. Fry till golden brown and let it cool. 
3. Wash the brinjals, cut off green part and slit each one into four without fully separating the pieces. 
4. Now grind the dry masala into a coarse powder and stuff the same into the slit brinjals. 
5. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and place all the stuffed brinjals. 
6. Under medium flame keep tossing and checking so that all of them are evenly fried and soft.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Spicy Onion Stuffed Baingan

This is another variety of stuffing for brinjals which can only enhance the taste of brinjals. For this also we can take round even sized brinjals.

Ingredients:

500g brinjals, 4 medium size onions, 2 tsp chana dal (Bengal gram), 1 tsp jeera, 1 small piece of ginger finely chopped (optional), ¼ tsp haldi(turmeric powder), 1tsp red chilli powder, 2 tbsp tamarind pulp, 2 tbsp oil and salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. Chop the onions finely and add chana dal, jeera, ginger, haldi, salt, chilli powder and mix well. Wash and slit each baingan into four without fully disintegrating. 
2. Heat oil in a pan, stuff the spicy onion into each brinjal and leave them into the oil. 
3. After ten minutes of cooking add the tamarind pulp let it simmer for ten more minutes or till it is soft.

Serve hot with rice or roti.

Spicy Baingan

Aubergine plant gives the best vegetable in the first lot of the season. The taste goes wild if the same plant is used for the second season. Baingan (brinjal) is always put in water after cutting, otherwise it goes black like apple which indicates the presence of iron content. It is the quickest possible vegetable to get cooked. Also it takes very little oil and salt whichever way it is made. Brinjal comes in purple, light green and also variegated green colour. Any variety of baingan can be made tasty using masala variations.

Ingredients:

500g slightly fat variety of baingan, 2 onions, 2 tbsp of oil,100g tomato puree, 1tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), 1 tsp jeera,1 tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp haldi (turmeric powder) ½ tsp garam masala powder, salt to taste and hara dhania (fresh coriander) chopped for dressing.

Preparation:

Finely chop onions and keep aside.Heat oil in a pan, put jeera, kasuri methi and fry a little. To this add chopped onions and keep stirring. Once onions are a little brown add ginger paste, garlic paste, tomato puree and continue to stir adding a little water. Also add chilli powder, haldi powder garam masala powder and salt. Cut baingan into thin round slices and apply a little salt and garam masala powder and keep it ready. After a while when the masala starts leaving the oil put the baingan slices and toss it well, cover the lid and cook on slow fire till baigan gets soft.

Decorate with chopped hara dhania and serve the baingan hot with rice or roti.