Move over baba ganoush, baingan bharta is here!

I’m crazy about mushy dishes. And India. Because it just so happens that they’re masters at making delicious mushy dishes there. My favorite mushy dish of all time? It has to be one made with my other great love: eggplant.

Now you might be thinking: oh, this girl is about to write an ode to baba ganoush. Well, no. Delicious too, don’t get me wrong. But in India they have an even tastier roasted eggplant mush: baingan bharta. Baingan (बैंगन) means eggplant in Hindi, bharta (भरता) means purée.

Just like baba ganoush, you eat it with (flat)bread. In this case, not a Middle Eastern bread such as lavash, but roti or paratha. That’s where the similarities end, though. While the roasted eggplants in baba ganoush are mixed with tahini, parsley and lemon, in baingan bharta they’re fried with onions, tomato, garlic, cilantro and chilies. Mmmm.

Tandoor

The dish comes from the Punjab region in northern India. There, they roast the eggplant in a tandoor, which gives it its characteristic, charcoal-like, smoky flavor. I’d say the chances of you having a tandoor in your kitchen are pretty slim, but don’t worry. If you have a gas stove, you can still get pretty close. Simply cook those eggplants directly over the flame (tip: make a few cuts in the eggplant and tuck garlic cloves into them). You can also cook them in the oven or microwave, but then you can wave goodbye to that delicious smoky flavor. Such a shame.

Read here how to make it properly.