If you are looking to venture away from mainstream Indian dishes like butter chicken, dal makhani, or shahi paneer, you will want to add this baingan bhartha to your must-make list. Baingan bhartha, or Indian roasted eggplant, is packed with caramelized sweet onions, smokey eggplant, and the perfect amount of spice.
Paired with homemade onion pulao, homemade naan or a plain roti or paratha, this is a vegetarian recipe that even meat-eaters will love! Serve with a traditional kachumber salad for a bite of freshness, and to round out this vegetarian meal!
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👩🏽🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Minimal ingredient needed: While this recipe is big on flavor, you do not need a long list of ingredients to make it. Less is more with this one!
- A delicious meatless recipe: Indian cooking is full of delicious vegetarian dishes, including this one and this delicious saag aloo. If you are already eating a meatless diet, or looking to cut down your meat intake, this recipe is going to be a favorite in your meal rotation.
- Perfect make-ahead elements: Roasted eggplant keeps perfectly in the freezer, and if you have it on hand, makes this recipe even quicker and easier to come together.
🥘 Ingredient notes
Get Your Pantry Ready to Cook!
For more detailed information on many of the ingredients used in this recipe, check out this guide to 20 pantry staple ingredients in Indian cooking!
- Large eggplant: For this recipe, you will want to use a classic large eggplant - sometimes referred to as globe or American eggplants. This variety yields the most flesh inside, and will also give you the soft and tender meat that is not as slimy as long Chinese eggplants.
- Sweet onions: Sweet onions are usually labelled as just that in the produce section of the grocery store. The flavor of sweet onions are slightly more mellow than regular yellow cooking onions, which pairs well with the smokiness of the eggplant.
- Chaat masala: Chaat masala is a mix of spices, including mango powder, dried pomegranate, and black salt. It adds a tangy flavor to the recipe all in one spice mix. I use MDH brand masalas in particular, as I prefer the mix and flavor of their spice line - not a sponsored opinion!
- Kashmiri chilli powder: Despite it being called chilli powder, it's not too spicy. It simply adds flavor and color without too much heat.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖 Substitutions
- Sweet onions: If you can't find sweet onions specifically, you can use regular yellow cooking onions, or Vidalia onions if you have them available in your grocery store. I do not recommend using red onions for this recipe, as they will not caramelize into the same mellow, sweet flavor.
- Hot house tomato: You can substitute almost any kind of fresh tomato variety into this recipe, including vine-ripe or roma tomatoes.
- Kashmiri chilli powder: Substitute with a mixture of sweet paprika, with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
🔪 Variations
- Extra spice: Add chopped green chillies to the onions and tomatoes to amp up the spice level.
- Creamy bharta: Add cream or yogurt to finish the recipe, to make it creamy and rich. This is perfect for those who prefer a milder flavor (kids!) and a smoother texture.
- Add different vegetables: Add sautéed mushrooms to the recipe to give it a meaty texture and umami flavor. This will add some extra protein to the dish, which is perfect for vegetarians! Green peas and potatoes are also delicious additions.
⏲️ Step-by-step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
- Collecting all your ingredients: This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
- Chop the vegetables: Thinly slice the onions, and finely dice the tomatoes.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Pierce the skin of the eggplant with a fork, all around the eggplant. Drizzle with olive oil, and place on a small baking sheet. Roast the eggplant for 45 minutes, until the eggplant has visibly shrivelled in size. [photo 1]
Remove the roasted eggplant from the oven, and let it rest until cool to touch. Slice the eggplant in half, and using a spoon or fork remove the meat from the skin. [photo 2]
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with vegetable oil. Add the sliced onions to the heated oil, and sauté until the onions have softened and lightly caramelized. [photo 3]
Add the eggplant meat to the onions, and mix together. You will want to lightly mash the eggplant into the onions, to form a smooth consistency. [photo 4]
Mix in the diced tomatoes and spices, and combine well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover for 5 minutes to soften the tomatoes. [photos 5&6]
💭 Expert Tips
- Roast the eggplant over an open flame: To get the smoky flavor that is characteristic of bhartha, you can roast the eggplant over an open flame. You can do this on a barbecue, or over a gas burner.
- Use a blender or food processor to blend the ingredients: If you prefer an extra smooth texture, you can use a blender or food processor to blend the roasted eggplant, onions, tomatoes, and spices.
- Finish with ghee for extra depth: To add richness and depth of flavor, finish the dish with a small amount of ghee (clarified butter). This is an optional step but can make a big difference in the final taste.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
- You can prepare this dish a day or two in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. This will allow the flavors to develop even more.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat leftovers in a pan over low heat. This will ensure that the dish heats evenly and doesn't become overcooked or mushy.
- Leftovers can also be frozen for later use. To freeze, let the dish cool down completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
- Eggplant can be roasted in advance, as well, and thawed before making the recipe.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
Yes, bhartha is vegan-friendly as it does not contain any animal products. Of course, do not use any ghee (clarified butter) in the cooking process.
As with most Indian recipes, the level of heat can be adjusted to suit your taste. You can add more or less chili powder or fresh chili peppers to adjust the level of spiciness.
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Baingan Bharta {Indian Roasted Eggplant}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Large Eggplants
- 2 Large Sweet onions - thinly sliced
- 1 Large Hot house tomato - finely diced
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- 2 ½ teaspoon Chaat masala
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 2 teaspoon Sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Pierce the skin of the eggplant with a fork, all around the eggplant. Drizzle with olive oil, and place on a small baking sheet. Roast the eggplant for 45 minutes, until the eggplant has visibly shrivelled in size.2 Large Eggplants
- Remove the roasted eggplant from the oven, and let it rest until cool to touch. Slice the eggplant in half, and using a spoon or fork remove the meat from the skin.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with vegetable oil. Add the sliced onions to the heated oil, and sauté until the onions have softened and lightly caramelized.2 Large Sweet onions, ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- Add the eggplant meat to the onions, and mix together. You will want to lightly mash the eggplant into the onions, to form a smooth consistency.
- Mix in the diced tomatoes and spices, and combine well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover for 5 minutes to soften the tomatoes.1 Large Hot house tomato, 2 ½ teaspoon Chaat masala, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric, 1 ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder, 2 teaspoon Sea salt
✱Recipe Notes
- Roast the eggplant over an open flame: To get the smoky flavor that is characteristic of bhartha, you can roast the eggplant over an open flame. You can do this on a barbecue, or over a gas burner.
- Use a blender or food processor to blend the ingredients: If you prefer an extra smooth texture, you can use a blender or food processor to blend the roasted eggplant, onions, tomatoes, and spices.
- Finish with ghee for extra depth: To add richness and depth of flavor, finish the dish with a small amount of ghee (clarified butter). This is an optional step but can make a big difference in the final taste.
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