Bagara Baigan

Bagara Baigan

Bagara Baigan is one of the most loved and specially prepared dish in the City of Nizams-Hyderabad. To be honest, I was unaware of this dish but post wedding, the dish I was attracted to was Bagara Baigan and I always wanted to make this dish and the best person to learn was my Hubby's Aunt who is an expert in Hyderabadi dishes.

There are range of recipes available on Bagara Baigan but the dish which I feel differentiates itself from others is the one that I have mentioned in this post. One of the uniqueness of this dish is the stuffed  tomato.When it mixes into the gravy , the juicy flavor that flows out is what I love the most. It really goes well with any dish you name like Rice, Biryani, Rumali Roti, etc. I will post other varieties of bagara baigan in my next post. 

Ingredients:

• 8 small purple brinjals(baigan)
• lemon size tamarind
• 3-4 tomatoes
• 1/4 cup oil

Ingredients for paste No. 1:

• 2 medium onions
• 1 inch ginger
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tea spoon haldi(Turmeric Powder)
• 1 tea spoon red chili powder
• salt as required

Ingredients for paste No.2:

• 1 table spoon coriander seeds
• 3/4 tea spoon cumin seeds
• 10-12 fenugreek seeds
• 1 tea spoon khus khus
• 2 table spoon sesame seeds (til )
• 3 table spoon grated dry coconut

Ingredients for tempering:

• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 3-4 crushed garlic cloves
• 7-8 curry leaves
• 1/2 tea spoon mustard seeds

Method:

Wash and slit Brinjals from both the sides without cutting the brinjal completely with the stem intact and soak in water.

Wash and cut tomatoes from both the sides without cutting the tomato completely.

Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water and keep aside.

Turn you stove on and roast the onions on it with the flame medium-high.This will burn off the skin of the onions but the onions will get soft and cooked from inside.As shown in the picture below.

Once the onion is roasted ,let it cool and then remove the skin and cut it. Now put it in a grinder and make a fine paste of all the ingredients in paste No.1. and keep aside.

Dry roast all  ingredients for paste No. 2 one by one and grind with tamarind water into a smooth paste and keep aside along with first paste. As shown below.

Mix both the pastes together and stuff in the brinjals and tomatoes.

Heat oil in a vessel and add mustard seeds when they splutter add crushed garlic,curry leaves and dry red chillies and fry ,then add the stuffed brinjal and cover and fry till it is half cooked.

Once done add the remaining masala and water as required .Let it boil .Once it boils add the stuffed tomatoes and cook for another 5-8 minutes or till oil comes out and till it gets thick gravy like consistency.

Now enjoy the delicious bagara baigan with rice or rotis.