Bagara baingan or bagare baingan is a famous Hyderabadi eggplant curry. This spicy and lip-smacking recipe pairs well with biryani, pulao, roti, and rice.
Wash the brinjals and pat them dry - no need to remove the stems. Slit the brinjals vertically. I make two slits and make sure you are not slicing them in half.
Heat a pan add two tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, add the slit brinjals and shallow fry them until they turn color and become a bit soft.
Transfer the shallow-fried brinjals into a plate or strainer lined with kitchen paper to drain the excess oil.
Saute the onions and prepare the wet paste
After transferring the brinjals, add ½ tbsp oil to the same kadai. When it is hot, add cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Saute for 30 seconds, and then add the onion and ginger-garlic paste.
Saute until the onions turn soft. Transfer it to a mixer jar.
Let it cool and grind into a smooth paste without adding water.
Prepare the dry masala.
While the onions are cooling down, you can use the same kadai to prepare the dry masala. No need to add oil. First, roast the peanuts for 2 minutes and then add the poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and dry coconut. Reduce the heat to medium-low and roast until the coconut turns light brown. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool.
Then grind it coarsely without adding any water like below.
Prepare the bagara baingan
Heat a pan and the remaining 2.5 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground onion paste. Saute for 5 to 8 minutes until the moisture is absorbed and oil starts to ooze out on the sides.
Now add the ground dry masala - the ground peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dry coconut.
Mix well, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for five more minutes or until the oil oozes out on the sides. Add the dry spice powders - coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric powder.
Mix and add 1 tsp of tamarind paste mixed with 2 cups of water, followed by salt.
Thoroughly mix the curry without any lumps, cook for a minute, and then add the shallow-fried brinjals. Gently mix, be careful not to break the brinjals.
Cover and cook the gravy for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat, remove the cover, add the jaggery, mix gently, cook for 3 to 4 minutes, and turn off the heat.
Finally, add cilantro and mix. Serve with rice or roti.
Notes
You can deep-fry the brinjals, but I have always shallow-fried it. We want the brinjal to hold its shape. So while mixing and flipping the brinjals, be gentle. Don't slit the brinjals too deep as well.
Adjust the salt and spices to taste.
Dry coconut works well in this recipe, but you can also use fresh coconut. But make sure to roast the fresh coconut well.
Ensure to cook the curry in medium-low heat, and at each stage, cook until the raw smell goes off for a rich and flavorful curry. After adding brinjals, we cover and cook but do not overdo. This step helps soften the brinjals further and helps the brinjal absorb all the flavor.