Baingan Bhaja Recipe!

Baingan Bhaja

I heard about this dish “Baingan Bhaja” from a  Bengali and for once I was like Baingan as a snack?? You must be kidding! I have only had Baingan Bharat so far. But I gave it a shot and this simple eggplant dish, marinated in spices and then fried, turned out to be good. I found it so tasty that I ate it all. My Mother did scold me later as I was so full with this snack that I skipped dinner.

This recipe , unlike the last one Paneer Tikka Frankie, is easy and quick to make.

Ingredients

• 1 aubergine (large brinjal), sliced into discs of 1 cm thickness
• 1 teaspoon, chilli powder
• ¾ teaspoon, turmeric
• A bit of Chaat Masala
• 2 teaspoon Besan
• Juice of 1 lemon (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil or any other oil for shallow frying

Method

To begin making Begun Bhaja, first make the spice mix. In a bowl, combine the chilli powder, turmeric, salt, besan and chat Masala and lemon juice and mix well.

1. Slice the washed aubergine into thickish slices of 1 cm thickness.
2. Put them in salted water for a while, for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Lay them out in a wide bowl/dish or plate and add the prepared spice mix to it.
4. Mix the spice mix with the slices of aubergine, rubbing them with your fingers so they are evenly coated with the spice.
5. Now prepare to fry them. Place a pan/skillet on the heat and add mustard oil to it. It is important to heat mustard oil till it gets smoky as that emanates maximum flavour.
6. When the oil begins to smoke, reduce the heat to lowest and add the slices to the oil in the pan, arranging them in a single layer.
7. Fry them on a low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes on one side before you flip them to cook on the other side. Cook them until sufficiently golden on both sides.
8. Remove the slices individually, with a slitted spoon and serve immediately, when still hot.