Baingan bharta or Baigan Chokha (mashed eggplant) is an Indian dish prepared by mincing grilled eggplant (''baingan'') and mixing it with tomato, onion, herbs and spices. Grilling the eggplant over charcoal or direct fire infuses the dish with a smoky flavour. Mashed eggplant is then mixed with cooked chopped tomato, browned onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, fresh

cilantro Coriander (;

(coriander leaves),

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

, and

mustard oil Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and extracting the resulting vola ...

or a neutral vegetable oil. Traditionally, the dish is often eaten with flatbread (specifically

roti Roti (also known as chapati) is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trini ...

paratha Paratha () is a flatbread native to South Asia, prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad a ...

) and is also served with rice or

raita Raita is a side dish in Indian cuisine made of dahi (yogurt, often referred to as curd) together with raw or cooked vegetables, more seldom fruit, or in the case of boondi raita, with fried droplets of batter made from besan ( chickpea flour, ...

, a

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in the milk by these bac ...

salad. In

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

and

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

, it is served hot with '' litti'' or baati. In

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

and

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

, ''baingan bharta'' is part of popular cuisine. In India, it is made in various regional styles, with ingredients varying from one region to another.

Names

The dish has several regional names, such as: ( hi, बैंगन का भरता, ur, بینگن کا بھرتہ), ( pa, ਬੈਂਗਣ ਦਾ ਭੱੜਥਾ), ( gu, રીંગણનો ઓળો), ( as, পুৰা বেঙেনা চাটনি) or ( as, বেঙেনা পিটিকা), ( mr, वांग्याचं भरीत), ( kn, ಎಣ್ಣೆಗಾಯಿ), ( or, ବାଇଗଣ ଭର୍ତ୍ତା), ( bn, বেগুন ভর্তা), ''baingoin satni'' (

Sylheti Sylheti may refer to: * Sylhetis, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group in the Sylhet division and South Assam * Sylheti language, a language of the Sylheti region * Sylheti Nagri Sylheti Nagri or Sylheti Nagari ( syl, , ISO: , ), known in cla ...

: ꠛꠣꠁꠋꠉꠂꠘ ꠌꠣꠐꠘꠤ) and (

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...

Variants

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, it is called ''Ringan No Oro'' ( gu, રીંગણનો ઓળો), in which the eggplant is roasted, then mashed, and then sautéed with mustard and cumin seeds, turmeric, red chilli powder, ginger and garlic and salt. It is served with ''bajra no rotlo'' ( gu, બાજરાંનો રોટલો), ''kadhi'' (a soup prepared by gram flour, curd and spices),

khichadi ''Khichdi'' or ''khichri'' (, , , , Odia: ଖେଚୁଡି) is a dish in South Asian cuisine made of rice and lentils ('' dal'') with numerous variations. Variations include ''bajra'' and mung ''dal'' ''khichri''. In Indian culture, in ...

and ''chhaash'' ( gu, છાશ) (buttermilk). In

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

, it is called ''eṇṇegāyi'' and prepared by boiling and frying whole eggplant usually served with ''

akki rotti Akki rotti ( kn, ಅಕ್ಕಿ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ) is a rice-based breakfast item unique to the state of Karnataka, India. ''Akki rotti'' means "rice bread" in the native language, Kannada. It is made of rice flour which is mixed with salt an ...

''. In the

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territ ...

n state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

, the

Tamils The Tamil people, also known as Tamilar ( ta, தமிழர், Tamiḻar, translit-std=ISO, in the singular or ta, தமிழர்கள், Tamiḻarkaḷ, translit-std=ISO, label=none, in the plural), or simply Tamils (), are a Drav ...

prepare a similar dish called ''kathrikai thayir kothsu'', in which the eggplant is cooked, mashed, and sautéed with

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

, red chilis and

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

. The final step in the recipe involves adding yogurt (curds) to the mixture and dressing the dish with coriander leaves. In the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of India (such as eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar), it is known as ''baigan ka chokha''; it is also popular within the Indo-Caribbean communities of

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

, Suriname, and Guyana, where many descendants of indentured labourers from northern India live. In Maharashtra, especially in the northern

Khandesh Khandesh is a geographic region in Central India, which includes parts of the northwestern portion of Maharashtra as well as Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh. The use of Khandeshi Language (a.k.a. the Ahirani Language) is prevalent in t ...

region, ''vangyache bharit'' as they call it is served in social gatherings including wedding ceremonies. During harvest season, a special "''bharit'' party" is organised. ''Bharit'' is usually served with ''

puri Puri () is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as '' ...

''. In the

Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: �id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the east of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a proposed state of central India, comprising the state's Amravati and Nagpur divisions. Amravati Division's former name is Ber ...

and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra, two variants are popular: ("raw") and (with ) . In , all the ingredients except for eggplant are used uncooked. Raw spring onion, tomato, green chillies, green coriander, and sometimes fresh fenugreek leaves are mixed with flame-roasted eggplant along with raw linseed oil or peanut oil. In , the above ingredients are first fried in oil with spices; then, mashed eggplants are mixed into it and cooked together. The similar process is followed in other Indian states and Pakistan with slight variations on ingredients. In Vidarbha and Khandesh, it is considered a delicacy when the eggplants are roasted on a dried cotton plant stems, a process which gives a distinct smokey flavour to the dish. The dish is served with ''

dal In Indian cuisine, ''dal'' (also spelled ''daal'' or ''dhal''; pronunciation: , Hindi: दाल, Urdu: ) are dried, split pulses (e.g., lentils, peas, and beans) that do not require soaking before cooking. India is the largest producer of pu ...

bhakri Bhakri () is a round flatbread (roti) often used in the cuisine of the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka in India. The bhakri prepared using jowar or bajra is coarser than a regular wheat chapati. Bhakri can be either soft ...

'', and rice. File:Baigan Bharta.jpg File:Baigan ka Bharta.jpg, Baingan bharta with ''

'' and

lentil The lentil (''Lens culinaris'' or ''Lens esculenta'') is an edible legume. It is an annual plant known for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. As a food crop, the largest pro ...

s File:Litti Chokha.jpg, ''Litti chokha'', ''litti'' with ''baigan bharta'', a North Indian dish File:Baigan Bharta from Nagpur.JPG, ''Baigan bharta'' made in

Nagpur Nagpur (pronunciation: aːɡpuːɾ is the third largest city and the winter capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the 13th largest city in India by population and according to an Oxford's Economics report, Nagpur is projected to ...

, Maharashtra File:Baingan Ka Bharta.JPG File:ಎಣ್ಣೆಗಾಯಿ - ಅಕ್ಕಿ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ.jpg , ''

Akki rotti Akki rotti ( kn, ಅಕ್ಕಿ ರೊಟ್ಟಿ) is a rice-based breakfast item unique to the state of Karnataka, India. ''Akki rotti'' means "rice bread" in the native language, Kannada. It is made of rice flour which is mixed with salt an ...

'' with ''eṇṇegāyi'', a

dish

Protest symbol

In a protest against

BT Brinjal The genetically modified brinjal is a suite of transgenic brinjals (also known as an eggplant or aubergine) created by inserting a crystal protein gene (''Cry1Ac'') from the soil bacterium ''Bacillus thuringiensis'' into the genome of various brin ...

and the introduction of genetically modified crops, volunteers from Greenpeace and Delhi's Le Méridien hotel cooked of organic ''brinjal bharta'' at

Dilli Haat Dilli Haat is a paid-entrance open-air market, food plaza, and craft bazaar located in Delhi. The area is run by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), and unlike the traditional weekly market, the village Haat, D ...

, New Delhi, on 6 September 2011. This set a world record for the largest amount of the dish produced in one occasion of preparation. A portion of the final dish was sent to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence, accompanied by a letter of protest containing an explanation.

Notes

References

External links