Bagara Baingan / Baingan Salna

A Hyderbadi specialty, Bagara Baingan is a delicious gravy made with Indian brinjals (eggplants). The body of the unique gravy is plumped with peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds in a spicy tamarind broth. Looking at the ingredients list might make some people dizzy - how can so many different spices and ingredients be forced into one dish, and what will happen to the poor brinjals swimming within all the spices? Worry not, everything will come together nicely and the intrinsic taste of brinjal will withstand all the spicy assault, and will actually complement the tanginess of the tamarind and the earthiness of the peanut-coconut paste. The whole spices (cloves, cinnamon and cardamom) will give a subtle aroma and tie everything together. 

This is a very different gravy and a versatile side dish that goes with most Indian rice and bread varieties.

Substitute brinjals with spicy peppers and you get Mirchi Ka Salan. For a spicier version, add whole black pepper corns to the whole masalas.

Ingredients (serves 4-5):

1. 10-12 small Indian brinjals
2. 1 cup peanuts (shelled and husked)
3. 1/2 cup grated coconut
4. 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
5. 1/2 cinnamon stick
6. 4 cloves
7. 4 green cardamoms
8. a small piece of mace / javetri
9. 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
10. 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
11. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
12. 1 teaspoon cumin powder / jeera powder
13. 2 teaspoons coriander powder / dhania powder
14. 1/4 teaspoon hing / asafoetida
15. 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (add more for a spicier version)
16. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
17. 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
18.  2 inch ball of tamarind, soaked in 1.5 cups of hot water
19. 1 tablespoon jaggery / brown sugar
20. a sprig of curry leaves
21. salt to taste
22. 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil

 Preparation:

1.  Add a tablespoon of oil in a pan, and roast the peanuts and sesame seeds until they begin to change color. 
2. Add coconut to the above and continue to roast on low heat until the peanuts roast to a pleasant brown color and give out a nice aroma. Remove from heat and allow to cool. When cool, grind with a little water to a fine paste. Keep aside.
3. Wash the brinjals and cut the stem/stalk. Keeping them whole, make two deep cuts (a cross) from the top and ending an inch from the bottom, so they gape and allow the spices to go into them whilst retaining their shape. 
4. With 2 tablespoons of oil, shallow fry the brinjals so that the outside is cooked and crispy. Do not completely cook them. When the skin crisps, remove from heat.
5. In another heavy bottomed pan, add one more tablespoon of oil, and the whole spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and mace. 
6. When the spices begin to sizzle and turn aromatic, add mustard seeds (everything on medium heat). When the seeds begin to splutter, add cumin seeds, hing, and curry leaves. Step aside a little because the curry leaves will also splutter along with the mustard.
7. Add onion and begin to saute along with a little salt and turmeric powder. When the onion turns translucent, add ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute
8. Add the spice powders - cumin powder, coriander powder, more salt, chilli powder. Fry everything together. If the bottom begins to stick, add a little water and mix in all the spices. Cook for another minute.
9. Now, add the ground peanut-coconut-sesame paste and fry well for 2-3 minutes
10. Extract the juice from the soaked tamarind (discard the pulp) and add it to the gravy. Add the jaggery/brown sugar and mix everything together. Cover the pan and let the tamarind come to a boil (keep checking periodically and stir the gravy so that the bottom does not stick or burn)
11. After 15 minutes, when the tamarind doesn't smell raw, add the crisped brinjals, adjust for salt/seasonings, and continue to cook (with the pan closed) for another 10 minutes. Check every few minutes to stir the gravy because the bottom will burn quickly. Also, the gravy will splutter a lot, so keep the pan closed or your kitchen will be splattered all around. Add a little water if the gravy is too thick. Turn around the brinjals so they cook evenly
12.  After 10 minutes,  check the gravy. Reduce the heat to low/simmer, and let everything simmer for 20 minutes, again periodically checking and stirring. Keep the pan closed. The longer the gravy simmers, the tastier it becomes, and it will also thicken and come together nicely
13. When the brinjals are cooked, and the oil in the gravy begins to separate, remove from heat.

Serve with plain rice or rotis. You can also serve this with biryani