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–+ servings

Baingan Bharta (with roasted Red Pepper)

Jyoti Behrani
Enhanced Baingan Bharta with roasted red pepper. Made with a combination of roasted eggplant, bell pepper, and aromatics. This Indian-inspired mashed eggplant (aka zesty, smoky dip) is delicious and easy to make.
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Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 146 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 2 medium eggplant
  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • 1 large onion (red or yellow), sliced
  • 2 medium tomato, sliced
  • 6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ inch ginger, chopped
  • 2-3 green chili, adjust to taste
  • 2 tablespoon oil
  • salt to taste
  • handful of fresh cilantro

Dry Spices:

Instructions
 

Step 1: Prep The Veggies

  • Wash the veggies well, pat dry the veggies with a clean kitchen or paper towel. Follow one of the methods discussed below to roast the veggies.

Step 2: Roast The Veggies On Stovetop

  • Note: For Roasting veggies in an air fryer or an oven, refer to blog post.
  • Place a Roti Jali on a stove top. On a medium heat, roast the veggies, until veggies are soft and charred.
    roasting baingan for baingan bharta
  • Turn the veggies every few minutes for even roasting.
    roasting red pepper for baingan bharta
  • Check if the veggies are done. The veggies will be soft and slightly charred. Insert a clean knife in the center of the veggies, if it goes through it without any resistance the veggies are cooked through. If required add few more minutes of cooking time.
  • Remove from heat. Let veggies cool down for a few minutes.
    roasted eggplant and red bell pepper

Step 3: Make The Baingan Bharta

  • Using one of the methods discussed earlier, roast the veggies.
    peel roasted eggplant
  • Once the veggies are cool, peel the skin of the veggies, and discard the seeds. Keep the veggies along with its juices in a bowl. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the eggplant and roughly chop red bell pepper. Keep it aside.
    roasted red pepper
  • Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions. Saute for 3-5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
    cook onions till translucent
  • Add chopped garlic, ginger, saute for 30 seconds.
    add garlic and ginger and saute for few seconds
  • Add chopped tomato, green chili. Dry spices – coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, dried mango powder, mix well. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft.
    add tomatoes and spices and cook
  • Add roasted, mashed eggplant, chopped red bell pepper, and salt to taste. Mix well.
    add roasted eggplant and pepper
  • Cook the veggies, for 3-5 minutes or until well blended and all the flavors are incorporated well. Turn OFF heat.
    cook the veggies
  • Add some garam masala and, handful of fresh cilantro.
    add garam masala
  • Enjoy Baingan Bharta with roti, naan, paratha, or my favorite with Jowar roti smeared with a dollop of ghee and a piece of gud ( jaggery ). Don't forget some raita, or yogurt and Green Garlic Chutney to complete the meal.
    garnish with fresh cilantro and serve

Notes

Pro Tips

Use fresh vegetables. Please refer to the post discussed earlier – How to pick eggplant (baingan)?
Apply some oil to the veggies, which helps veggies crisps evenly. You can also use cooking spray instead.
The robust, smoky flavor of Baingan Bharta comes from how well the eggplant is roasted. It is important to roast the veggies well in order to achieve a nice robust, smoky flavor bharta.
Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the veggies. Please use timing as a guideline, different air fryers / ovens, have different temperature settings. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
You can use mustard oil for cooking for the robust flavor. For milder flavor use olive oil instead.
Dried Mango powder adds a hint of tanginess to the Bharta. You can also use fresh lemon or lime juice instead, works just fine.

Variations

Use mustard oil for cooking, adds a nice robust flavor.
Green onions, green garlic, and cilantro add a nice crunch and freshness to the bharta. Feel free to add as little or more depending upon your liking.
For a sweeter, milder garlic flavor, use roasted garlic instead of raw garlic.
Roasted red bell pepper, adds a nice smoky, sweet, peppery flavor to the bharta. For a less intense smoky flavor, you can use chopped bell pepper instead. Add chopped bell peppers while sautéing onions.
Green peas add nice texture, vibrant color, and sweet flavor to this bharta

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Baingan Bharta (with roasted Red Pepper)
Amount per Serving
Calories
146
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
8
g
12
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
0.03
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
5
g
Sodium
 
90
mg
4
%
Potassium
 
785
mg
22
%
Carbohydrates
 
25
g
8
%
Fiber
 
10
g
42
%
Sugar
 
13
g
14
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
1670
IU
33
%
Vitamin C
 
69
mg
84
%
Calcium
 
52
mg
5
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

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