Bagara baingan, or eggplant curry, is an iconic dish in Hyderabad. Its history can be traced back to a dish served in Tashkent and travelled with the Mughan invasion to India, where it now dominates on every Hyderabadi table. It is a superstar among dishes, and no trip to Hyderabad is complete without digging deep into this luxurious curry.
The curry is rich, and the combination of spices is perfect. The eggplants are soft and add an earthiness to the dish, which is complimented by tart notes from tamarind, nutty notes from the nuts, and a luxurious creaminess from the coconut. The dish is rich and soaked in sheermal or paired with rice. It is perfect. Whenever my mother makes this dish, I have it by itself, nothing else on my plate; I want to savour it alone, enjoying the layers of flavour and spices.
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons coriander seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons desiccated coconut
4-5 tablespoon water
1 onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt, to taste
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
12 curry leaves
2 tablespoons tamarind extract
4 cups water
6 baby eggplants
4 cups water
Juice of 1 lime
Cut the eggplants into quarters, stopping at the base to keep them whole. Add them to the water with lime juice so they do not discolour.
Heat the oil and fry the onions on medium-low heat until they are dark brown and caramelized. Drain on paper napkins and allow to cool completely.
Dry roast the coriander, sesame, peanuts, and desiccated coconut individually until each is aromatic and lightly coloured. Then, cool completely.
Add the fried onions, roasted spices, and half the peanuts to a small blender with 3-4 tablespoons of water and blitz to a smooth paste. Add just enough water to puree the ingredients. Add the rest of the peanuts and pulse to get a coarse peanut mix with some bite.
Heat the remaining oil and add the cumin, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves. sauté for 10 seconds. Add the remaining onion and fry on medium-low heat until it is a rich brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for an additional minute until the ginger no longer smells raw.
Add the tamarind and cook for an additional minute. Add the water and eggplants and bring the pot to a boil. Cook on low heat with a lid for 20 minutes. Stir the curry occasionally so the spices do not stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. Make sure there are always enough liquids in the pot.
The eggplants should be very soft and cooked entirely at the end of the cooking time. The oil should have pooled generously and covered the top of the curry. If not, open the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often—taste for salt and spice. The curry should be tangy and robust.
Serve at room temperature with bread or rice.
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