Unless explicitly planned, we try not to order in dinner too often.
Especially in the summer, when our fridge is stocked with fresh vegetables that are screaming to get eaten, it feels like ordering in is the first step in sadly tossing said vegetables into the composter.
But on those occasions when I feel like I’ve been battling with a baby all day and the energy to step into the kitchen is lacking, I throw my hands up and we get Indian.
Despite the fact that there are so many wonderful Indian restaurants in Madison (I considered making a list but then realized I would inevitably leave an important one out), we tend to always order from Taste of India because of its proximity to our house.
We rotate between a couple of the entrees but without fail, the baingan bharta always makes the cut. Smoky eggplant mixed with ginger, onion, garlic, and spices is to die for, and I’ve always wanted to add a version of it to my own repertoire. Because, you know, overachievement.
I can safely say that my version doesn’t come near Taste of India’s. I’m assuming they cook their eggplant with actual charcoal to get that super smoky flavor infused into the dish, but I took some shortcuts and used the broiler. Needless to say, the dish is still quite wonderful, and is a great way to use up some summer produce, and thus it’s worth sharing here with you guys.
- 1 cup basmati rice, dry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 pounds eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
- 3 dried red chilis or 1 fresh red chili, chopped (optional, for more heat)
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.
- Place top oven rack on highest shelf and turn broiler on high. Place eggplants, cut side down, on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Rub into skin.
- Place eggplants under broiler and cook until the skin is nicely charred, anywhere from 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on this as you may need to rotate your eggplant pieces so they get an even heat. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 10 min. Add garlic, ginger, and chilis and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in tomato, chili powder, coriander, turmeric, and salt. Turn down heat to medium and cook until tomatoes start to soften.
- While those are cooking, use a spoon to scoop the eggplant meat out of the skin. Discard the skin and chop the eggplant.
- Add eggplant and garam masala to the saucepan and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until flavors blend. Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve eggplant mixture over rice. Top with cilantro.
love the pic of the eggplant on the cutting board with the hot, hot smoke. :)
writes Beth RomanSometimes burning your fingers is worth the shot :). Thanks Beth!
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writes Baingan Bharta: Indian Eggplant and Rice