Baingan Ka Bharta

1. Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water. Pat dry with a kitchen napkin. 2. Apply some oil to the baingan and keep it for roasting on an open flame. Keep it turning on the fire after 2-3 minutes…… so that the baingan gets cooked everywhere and completely. You could also do it in the oven. But you won’t get the smoky flavor of the baingan if you roast it in the oven. 3. Now since the tale is over and the baingan is still getting roasted……… in the mean time, chop your other veggies. 4. When the baingan shrinks in size, its color changes and a lovely burnt smoky aroma fills your kitchen. close the fire. 5. Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools down. 6. Peel the skin of the baingan. Keep it on your cutting tray. Discard the stem of the baingan. The water that you see on the cutting tray are the juicy liquids oozing out from the roasted baingan. 7. Chop the baingan into small pieces. 8. In a kadai, heat up the 2 tbsp oil. Add the cumin seeds (jeera). When they pop up, add the onions. Fry the onions till transparent. Add the ginger and saute for till the raw smell of the ginger disappears. 9. Add in the chopped tomatoes and mix it well. 10. Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating. Now add the red chili powder. 11. Mix it and saute for 30 seconds. 12. Add the chopped roasted baingan. 13. Mix it with the onion-tomato mixture. 14. Saute for some more 4-5 minutes. Add the green chili and salt and saute for a minute. 15. Your baingan bharta is ready. wait a minute…. there is one more final touch left. Finally add the coriander leaves to baingan bharta. 16. Mix the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta. 17. Serve Baingan Bharta hot with phulkas, tandoori roti or naan. It goes well even with plain rice or jeera rice.