Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





Traditional North Indian Aubergine Mash

Baingan Bhurta

Mamta Gupta

Easy Indian Main Starter Vegan Vegetarian

This is a delicious, spicy puree made with roasted aubergines. My younger daughter Neeta, who loves it, has given it the name "aubergine mush". It freezes well so can be made in large quantities.

Serves 6-8

Edited May 2013

Ingredients

  • 3 large aubergines (approx. 1 kg)
  • 3 large onions
  • 4 large tomatoes (you can use tinned tomatoes)
  • 1 1/2-2 heaped tsp. ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic (optional, but if you like garlic, it really enhances this dish)
  • 2 green chillies or use dry red chillies
  • 1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
  • 3 tbsp. cooking oil. Olive oil is good for this.
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • A pinch of asafoetida powder or hing
  • 2 tsp. salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp. chilli powder, adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp. paprika powder for colour (optional)
  • 1 tsp. coriander powder
  • 1 tsp. Garam Masala

Instructions

  1. Stab aubergines a couple of time to stop them bursting during cooking.
  2. Rub oil on aubergines ( this gives aubergines a Smokey flavour) and cook on direct flame or under a grill or in a hot oven, until soft to touch from all sides. You need to keep turning aubergines over frequently, to avoid burning. You can also cook them in a hot oven. Some people boil them, but the roast flavour of aubergines cooked directly on the flame/charcoal/oven is worth the extra work.
  3. Put under cold tap for a few seconds, this makes the skin come off easily. Drain and peel skin off.
  4. Place the pulp in a bowl and break it with your fingers or a potato masher. Do not put in food processor as this makes it too smooth and it looses the rough texture.
  5. Peel tomatoes with a potato peeler/sharp knife and chop them up. Or, you can grill or oven cook them with aubergines, then dunk them in water for a few minutes. This will loosen the skin. Peel the skins off.
  6. Chop tomatoes finely by hand or in a food chopper.
  7. Peel and chop/grate onion, ginger and garlic finely by hand or in a food processor.
  8. Chop green chillies finely. If using red chillies, keep whole.
  9. Clean, wash and chop coriander leaves coarsely.
  10. Heat oil in a karahi or a wok.
  11. Add cumin seeds and hing and wait until they splutter or turn brown.
  12. Add chopped green chillies or whole red chillies, onions, ginger and garlic and fry until lightly brown, not too brown.
  13. Add aubergines, chopped tomatoes, salt, chilli powder, paprika and coriander powder.
  14. Stir fry for 10-30 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  15. Add garam masala, chopped coriander leaves and stir thoroughly. If making for freezer, add coriander leaves before serving.
  16. Serve with hot Chapatti or Roti or Phulka 1, Indian Flat Bread or Paratha, Plain.
  17. It can be served as starter with small pieces of Pitta or [recipe:10108.

Notes

  • Healthy Option:
  • Reduce the quantity of oil to 1 tbsp. or less and cook in a non-stick pan.
  • Also see Aubergine and Garlic Mash.
This recipe was originally created Aug 27, 2003 and last updated May 5, 2024

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