Baingan Bharta

Baingan which is also called eggplant or brinjal in English is well known vegetable and this Baingan bharta dish is very popular in  India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

This dish is generally prepared by grilling eggplant on charcoal or direct on fire. This grilling gives a smoky flavour to eggplant.There  are also so many ways to cook Baingan Bharta.  Some people grill over charcoal then add onion and tomato and spice but some people after grilling baingan over charcoal, fry minced Baingan in pan. It tastes good either way you cook. This dish is generally eaten with chapati and daal.

One main cuisine in Eastern India is  litti chokha where this baingan bharta is called chokha and is accompanied by litti. This litti chokha (baingan bharta) is deadly combination and eaten by everyone with interest.

I will explain here the way of cooking of Baingan Bharta in which onion tomato and spice are added in grilled smoky eggplant.
Here is the recipe. You give a try to this recipe.

Ingredients

1. Eggplant : 1 medium sized
2. Potato: 1 medium sized (boiled)
3. Onion : 1 medium sized
4. Tomato: 1 medium sized
5. Coriander leaves: few bunches
6. Garlic: 3 - 4 pods
7. Green chillies: 2
8. Chat masala: 1 tsp
9. Red chilli powder: 1 tsp( Optional)
10. Salt: as per taste
11. Lemon: Half  piece (Optional)

Method of Preparation

1. Take eggplant and wash it. If you have charcoal stove then grill it on that. Keep it turning after 5 to 6 minutes so that it is properly grilled. When it would be properly cooked then its skin would starts leaving it's pulp and turning black. A smoky flavour would start coming. This is sign of properly grilled and cooked eggplant (Baingan).  Now a days generally charcoal stove are not found in home specially in metros and big cities. So other option is grilling eggplant on gas stove. Keep the Eggplant on gas stove flame and keep on turning every after few minutes. The process is same as above.
2. When eggplant (baingan) grilled and cooked properly then switch off gas and keep this in a plate. Leave it for few minutes to cool down. 
3. When it is cooled down then peel off its skin. It might be that some juice ooze out from eggplant. Keep it like this in plate.
4. When all skin have been peeled off then cut its tail from knife and mash eggplant.
5. Take now boiled potato and mash it properly.
6. Now add mashed potato, fine chopped onions, tomato, green chilli, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, chaat masala powder and salt in mashed eggplant and combine all ingredients well,
7. Garnish it with coriander leaves and lemon. It is ready to serve.

Notes:

1. One medium size mashed boiled potato can be mix it mashed eggplant. It enhance its taste but this is purly optional.
2. Ginger Garlic can be grated and mix in mashed eggplant instead of making paste.