After so many requests, I’m delighted to share my version of the most popular Indian eggplant dish: Baingan Bharta!
Whatever preconceived notions you’ve got about eggplant, leave them at the door: this is eggplant made spicy, tangy, jammy, and utterly luxurious.
The eggplant is charred until delectably smoky, then gets mashed with garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and a bouquet of warm Indian spices to become the silky stuff of dreams. Serve this as a main (with homemade vegan naan and gobi manchurian) or as a side (with dal tadka or vegan palak paneer)—either way, it’s bound to WOW. 😍
Calling all eggplant-haters! If you’ve got any staunchly eggplant-averse friends/family, this is the dish to serve them. My partner Max is the chairman of the “I hate eggplant club” and, as you’ll see in the video below, he not only enjoyed this dish—he went back for seconds! ⤵️
The King Of All Eggplant-Haters tries baingan bharta
…and the video has racked up over 500,000 views! Watch me make this recipe and, of course, the highly-anticipated taste test at the end.
What is baingan bharta?
Baingan bharta is an eggplant dish originating in the Punjab region of India, though there are many regional variations (as with almost every dish in a country as diverse as India).
In Hindi, baingan means “eggplant” and bharta means “mash” or “filling” (sometimes, the dish is also called baingan ka bharta, or “mash of eggplant”).
The method for this dish can be thought of in terms of the two words that comprise its name:
- For the baingan: In Punjab, the eggplant is often roasted in a tandoor oven, which infuses it with the smoky charcoal aroma that is so integral to the dish’s flavor profile. In this recipe, you’ll roast the full eggplant over the flame of your stove until the skin blackens and chars (or opt for the sauté method—more on that here!)
- For the bharta: Sautéed aromatics, spices, and tomatoes cook down together before you add the eggplant mash. The result is jammy, flavor-packed luxury like you won’t believe.
🍆 👩🏽🔬 Experiments in eggplant-cooking
In developing this recipe, I tested five different methods for cooking the eggplant:
- Charring a whole eggplant over an open gas flame = Winner! 🎉🎉🎉
- Roasting a whole eggplant in the oven = watery, flavorless eggplant ❌
- Grilling a whole eggplant on a grill pan = no smokiness ❌
- Roasting chopped eggplant in the oven = dry eggplant that didn’t mash well ❌
- Sautéeing chopped eggplant in a frying pan = Runner-up method! 🎉
The best method, no surprise, is close to the traditional method: smoking a whole eggplant over an open flame on your gas stove. It adds that bold smoky aroma and makes the eggplant flesh silky and unctuous.
Don’t have a gas stove? Don’t feel comfortable with this technique? Try method 5—sauté chopped eggplant in oil and salt in a frying pan. This yields soft, jammy eggplant that is easy to mash and has nice eggplant flavor.
Plus, there’s a technique (the Dhungar Method) you can pair with the sauté method to help infuse the dish with some of that hallmark smokiness! Check out the recipe card notes for a detailed walkthrough of the saute method, and the second FAQ to learn about the Dhungar technique!
Ingredient notes
This recipe uses several ingredients common in Indian cooking: onions, garlic, ginger, green chiles, tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, Indian red chile powder, garam masala, and cilantro.
The most important ingredient and the star of baingan bharta is eggplant. If you are smoking it over an open flame, here are a few tips when buying an eggplant.
- Standard globe eggplant, Italian eggplant, or Indian eggplant (skinny Japanese and Chinese varieties will collapse on the stove).
- Medium-sized (around 14 to 16 ounces)
- Relatively uniform in girth from top to bottom. If your eggplant is very skinny on top but very fat on bottom, the top will cook through much faster and collapse before the bottom can cook).
- Relatively ripe/soft. The softer the eggplant, the faster it will cook on the stove (about 15 minutes). If your eggplant is on the firm side, it’ll still turn out great, but it will take closer to 30 minutes to cook.
Step-by-step instructions
Cook the eggplant.
The below photos/instructions are for roasting the eggplant directly over a stove flame (the traditional method of making baingan bharta). If you’re not comfortable with this method or don’t have a gas stove, use the sauté method, which is outlined in the recipe card notes below.
Brush the eggplant with a light coating of oil and peel off/trim as much of the stem on top as you can (to avoid burning). Heat a gas burner over medium-low heat.
Use tongs to hold the eggplant upright over the flame; char the bottom of the eggplant for 4-6 minutes.
Flip the eggplant upside down and char the top for about 3 minutes. If the stem starts to burn, take it off the heat and try to trim more of it off.
Flip the eggplant on its side and position the thicker bottom half directly over the flame. Cook, rotating every 2 minutes, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a knife can easily pierce the fattest part with no resistance.
Move the thinner top half of the eggplant directly over the flame. Cook, rotating every 2 minutes, for a total of 6 minutes.
The eggplant should be deeply charred all over, wrinkly, and almost falling apart, like the photo on the right.
Use tongs to transfer the eggplant to a bowl, and cover with a plate to steam for 5 minutes (this is essential for making the eggplant easier to peel).
Use your hands to peel off the skin (you may want to dip your hands in a bit of water to make it easier to peel). Remove the big ashy black bits (tiny bits are fine).
Slice off the head of the eggplant and mash the flesh of the eggplant until very soft (use a knife or potato masher).
Make the bharta (filling).
The instructions for making the bharta (the filling or the mash) are the same whether you roast the eggplant over the stove flame or cook it on the skillet.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the cumin seeds for a minute. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
Cook until onions are softened but not browned. Add the garlic, ginger, serrano peppers, and turmeric, and cook for 60 to 90 seconds.
Once very aromatic, add the tomatoes, salt, and coriander.
Cook until the tomatoes are soft, well incorporated, and start to release oil, about 5 minutes.
Add in the mashed eggplant mixture and kashmiri chili powder and toss well to combine.
Reduce the heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring the eggplant into the bharta and mashing together. Add in the garam masala and chopped cilantro and season with salt.
Tips for cooking the eggplant
Cook the eggplant until it’s very soft
When smoking the eggplant over an open flame, don’t be tempted to determine doneness based on the char of its skin—you’ve gotta test the texture!
Slide a paring knife into the fattest part of the eggplant—if there’s any resistance, it’s not ready yet! Wait until there’s no resistance, as in the video below.
Worried that the eggplant is charring too much on the outside but still needs more time for the inside to soften? Just lower the heat a touch.
Your stove will get messy 🤷🏽♀️
Hate to break it to you, but there’s just no way to avoid a messy stove when you smoke the eggplant over the flame.
Some folks say you can line your stove with foil, but I think that’s a fire hazard. Instead, I recommend a grease-cutting soap and a tough sponge. A cleaning solution like Bar Keeper’s Friend, a baking soda paste, or even a 1:1 mixture of distilled white vinegar and water will go a long way.
If you don’t want to deal with the mess, there’s no shame in using the stovetop method to cook the eggplant! The resulting dish will still be delicious—especially if you add some smokiness through the Dunghar Method (more on that in the first and second FAQs below).
Don’t skip the steam step!
Once the smoked eggplant is done, transfer it to a bowl and cover it with a plate to steam for 5 minutes. The steam will make it much easier to peel off the skin.
What to serve with baingan bharta
We LOVE pairing this baingan bharta with my homemade vegan naan, but it pairs well with virtually any Indian bread such as rotis and parathas. You can even pair it with store-bought flatbread or pita, or even grilled bread. Or, serve it over a bed of white or brown rice.
Since it’s quite spicy, a nice dollop of coconut yogurt or vegan raita makes a lovely topping.
If you’d like to serve it as a side dish for a gourmet Indian feast, try it alongside my Tofu Tikka Masala, Vegan Palak Paneer, Braised Indian Chickpea Stew, or (fan-favorite) Red Lentil Curry.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Peel the eggplant. Slice in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise again into 4 wedges and then cut each wedge again into 8 pieces. Finally, cut the wedges into ½-inch pieces.
2. Heat 2 1/2 tablespoons of neutral-flavored oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the eggplant and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, for about 6 minutes, until the eggplant starts to break down. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the eggplant is soft and jam-like and there’s no resistance when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.
3. Mash the eggplant as described in the instructions above.
You can use the traditional Indian method of coal-smoking food called the Dhungar Method. It does not produce the exact same smoky flavor as charring the eggplant over an open flame, but it does add a nice smokiness that is not overpowering.
All you need is a piece of lump charcoal, a small bowl, and a tiny bit of oil (you can get charcoal at any hardware store and many grocery stores).
When the dish is done, light a 1 to 2-inch piece of lump charcoal over a gas flame until smoking and red hot. Place a small stainless steel or glass bowl in the middle of the dish. Add the hot charcoal to the bowl, pour ½ teaspoon oil on the charcoal, and cover with a lid as soon as it starts smoking. Cover for 2 to 3 minutes to infuse the smoke.
Tip: If you want to see a video of how I use the Dhungar method in another recipe, check out my Dal Makhani video on YouTube at the 5:34 mark.
As I mentioned earlier, I grilled whole eggplant on an indoor grill pan, but it didn’t yield any smoky flavor. But, if you have an outdoor charcoal grill, it would be a good option, though it can be time consuming.
To grill eggplant, grease your grill grates well and and preheat the grill over medium-high. Once the grill is smoking, add the whole eggplant. Turn occasionally, until the skins are completely charred and the insides are soft (it took 40 to 50 minutes on a grill pan).
No! Liquid smoke is best-suited for American-style dishes like BBQ or vegan “bacon” and does not vibe well with Indian flavors.
Yes! You can prepare the eggplant 5 days in advance; just store it in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also make the bharta several days in advance and store it separately.
Leftover baingan bharta will stay good in the fridge for 5 to 6 days; you can also freeze it for a few months with good results.
To reheat, microwave or add to a frying pan on medium-low heat until warmed through.
If you enjoyed this Baingan Bharta recipe, please be sure to rate and review the recipe below 🙂
Introducing
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Baingan Bharta
Ingredients
Baingan
- 1 medium-sized (about 1 pound, or 450g) eggplant
- Grapeseed oil or avocado oil (or neutral-flavored oil of choice)
Bharta
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral-flavored oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium red or yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1- inch piece ginger, grated (or minced)
- 1 small serrano pepper, finely chopped (optional for spicy!; omit for moderate heat)(See Note 1)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 medium plum or roma tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chile powder (See Note 1)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 cup (16g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
For serving
- Vegan naan, roti, or other flatbread, or cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
- Note: These first five steps are for the smoking the eggplant; check out the blog post & notes below for the alternative sauté method. (See Note 2)Ventilate your kitchen and open the windows. Grab a fan if you have one. Peel any leaves from the top of the eggplant to prevent them from burning. Brush the eggplant with a bit of oil using a pastry brush or your hands, just a light coating.
- Turn a gas burner on your stove to medium-low heat. Use tongs to hold the eggplant upright (vertically) and hold the bottom of the eggplant over the flame for 3 to 6 minutes to char the bottom, or until a paring knife can pierce the bottom without too much resistance. Flip the eggplant 180º and use tongs to char the top of the eggplant for 2 to 3 minutes, but make sure the stem doesn’t directly touch the flame to avoid burning.
- Place the eggplant onto its side (lying flat, horizontally) and rest it directly on top of the flame, positioning the fatter bottom part directly over the flame. Gently rotate the eggplant every 2 minutes. Once deeply charred and very wrinkly, insert a paring knife into the fattest part: if the knife slides in easily and there is minimal resistance, the bottom is done. If your eggplant was soft/ripe to begin with, it might take 8 minutes. If not, it can take 16 minutes. Now insert a paring knife into the skinnier top part part. If it has no resistance, the eggplant is done. If there is a bit of resistance, cook for 4 to 6 minutes, rotating every 2 minutes, until charred and wrinkly.Note: as the eggplant cooks, it might sizzle a bit and some juice might escape onto your stove. This is normal.
- Turn off the heat and use tongs to transfer the eggplant to a bowl. Cover with a plate to steam for 5 minutes. Use your hands to peel off the charred papery black flakes. Dip your hands in water to make it easier to peel. It's okay if tiny little black spots remain.
- Slice off the head of the peeled eggplant. Using a knife, flat ended spatula, or potato masher, mash the flesh of the eggplant, as if you were mincing garlic.Note: If your eggplant was ripe/soft to begin with, it's possible the cooked eggplant will be quite watery. If that's the case, add it to a fine mesh sieve and push down on it with a spoon to squeeze out as much excess water as you can.
- Make the bharta. Heat the 1 1/2 TBSP oil in a medium frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute, tossing or swirling frequently to prevent burning. Add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, but don’t let them brown. Add the garlic, ginger, serrano peppers, and turmeric, and cook, stirring frequently for 60 to 90 seconds. Add the coriander, salt, and tomatoes, and cook until the oil starts to release from the tomatoes and the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the mashed eggplant mixture and red chile powder and toss well to combine. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often and mashing together. Add in the garam masala and chopped cilantro and season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Serve warm with bread or rice of choice.
Video
Notes
- If omitting the serrano pepper but you want some heat, use more kashmiri chile powder, 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- Sauté method for the baingan (eggplant):
- Slice a peeled eggplant into ½-inch pieces.
- Heat 2 1/2 TBSP oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add eggplant and ½ tsp kosher salt. Cook for 6 min, tossing occasionally, until it starts to break down. Reduce to medium and cook until soft and jam-like and there’s no resistance, about 20 minutes.
- Mash the eggplant as described in the instructions above. You can use the Dhungar method for additional smokiness (instructions are in the FAQ).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
This is my favorite Indian Cuisine dishes! I was not brave enough to attempt making it until last night. This was so good and now I can make it anytime!! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Its better than any restaurant, soooooo good!!
I saw this pop up again on one of the feeds, so I wanted to try it again. It is an amazing mix of tastes and textures. It pairs well with the Vegan Naan which I am making frequently. There is no reason to buy your naan when you can make it at home. Thanks as always for encouraging us to prepare and eat fresh food.
Great recipe. I left out all the hot peppers because my husband can’t tolerate them, but still used the garam masala and other spices. I used the saute method, and even though the recipe says not to use liquid smoke, I did. I used just a few drops while I was mashing the eggplant. It was fantastic and everyone absolutely loved it.
Thanks for sharing, Jen! Great to hear the recipe was a crowd-pleaser 🙂
Looks good but where is the protein? Or is this just meant to be a side dish?
Hi Sarah.
As this is a vegetable dish, you are right, its not very protein dense. Indians typically would pair this with a lentil/legume/bean dish for the added protein along with yogurt (I would have about half a cup of greek yogurt alongside). Depending on your serving size of lentil/legume/bean and yogurt, you can get anywhere from 10-20g added protein in your meal. I hope this helps.
Hi Sarah, Baingan Bharta is traditionally eaten as a vegetarian main dish, but it’s also enjoyed as a side!
If you want to boost the protein, it pairs beautifully with our Tofu Tikka Masala, Vegan Palak Paneer, Braised Indian Chickpea Stew, or (fan-favorite) Red Lentil Curry.
For a simpler option, you can stir in baked tofu or air-fried tofu.
I was wondering the same thing. Looking for something for a family gathering.
I have been successful roasting eggplant in a gas stove’s broiler . I did not put any oil on it, just washed the whole (uncut), poke holes in it to let steam escape, and roast until skin is hard (then turn to let the next side get hard). My friend (big time domestic cook) kept getting worried because it smelled like it was burning, but when she tasted it, she said it was great and that she then understood the burning process.
Love your recipes, Nisha! Can I use my gas grill to achieve the same effect?
Great question! I was wondering the same thing.
Hi Frankie, you can find the answer to your question in the FAQ section, but I will paste it here for your convenience!:
“As I mentioned earlier, I grilled whole eggplant on an indoor grill pan, but it didn’t yield any smoky flavor. But, if you have an outdoor charcoal grill, it would be a good option, though it can be time consuming.
To grill eggplant, grease your grill grates well and and preheat the grill over medium-high. Once the grill is smoking, add the whole eggplant. Turn occasionally, until the skins are completely charred and the insides are soft (it took 40 to 50 minutes on a grill pan).”
Hi Mary, thanks a million for your support! 🙂
You can find the answer to your question in the FAQ section, but I will paste it here for your convenience!:
“As I mentioned earlier, I grilled whole eggplant on an indoor grill pan, but it didn’t yield any smoky flavor. But, if you have an outdoor charcoal grill, it would be a good option, though it can be time consuming.
To grill eggplant, grease your grill grates well and and preheat the grill over medium-high. Once the grill is smoking, add the whole eggplant. Turn occasionally, until the skins are completely charred and the insides are soft (it took 40 to 50 minutes on a grill pan).”
Hi Nisha, would love to try this but we have an electric stove with no flames available! Any ideas for making the eggplant ‘smoky’ without? I was thinking possible adding some liquid smoke to the recipe? Thank, Trish
She says not to use it, but I’m going to add just a droplet to the oil that I brush my salt-treated slices with (you know about “sweating” them, right?) and oven-roast it. We’ll see how it goes. I’ve done the oven-roasted thing before with Baingan Bharta, and it turned out great, if less smoky. But I want to try Nisha’s recipe.
Hi Carolyn, unfortunately Liquid smoke is not a good substitute here. It’s best-suited for American-style dishes like BBQ or vegan “bacon” and does not vibe well with Indian flavors.
We also don’t recommend oven roasting the eggplant. We found roasting a whole eggplant in the oven = watery, flavorless eggplant ❌ and roasting chopped eggplant in the oven = dry eggplant that didn’t mash well.
That being said, in the FAQ Nisha gives instructions for sauteeing the eggplant (FAQ 1) and adding smokiness to the sauteed eggplant (FAQ 2)!
I did it and used just a few drops of liquid smoke and it was excellent. I understand the recipe says not to do it, and maybe doing so makes it not authentic, but it worked really well for me, and no one who ate it felt that it was anything but delicious. 🙂
It’s good to hear it worked well for you, Jen!
Lacking a gas burner or grill, I followed another recipe for the eggplant by slicing lengthwise and air frying for about 20 minutes. Wasn’t exactly “smoky,” but with all the spices didn’t really miss it. Hadn’t thought of the liquid smoke. Might try that next time.
Hi David, you can find our recommended cooking method for those without a gas stovetop in FAQ 1, as well as our favorite way to add smokiness to the sauteed eggplant in FAQ 2!
Why would I go through sauteing in all that oil when I can just pop them–oil free–in the air fryer?
Hi Trish, Nisha delves deep into this in the blog post actually!
Unfortunately Liquid smoke is not a good substitute here. It’s best-suited for American-style dishes like BBQ or vegan “bacon” and does not vibe well with Indian flavors.
That being said, in the FAQ Nisha gives instructions for sauteeing the eggplant (FAQ 1) and adding smokiness to the sauteed eggplant (FAQ 2)!
Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Just made this….absolutely amazing!! I wasn’t brave enough to char the eggplant on an open flame but it still came out delicious. Thank you for a great recipe! I’ll definitely be making this again!
Kym, thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the baingan bharta.