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!
Really excited to try this recipe! Eggplant is my fav vege, weird I know. A little nervous about using an open flame to char the eggplant, so I’ll try broiling.
We hope you enjoy this recipe, Nicole!
This was so quick to make. Even the stove grilling was fun. The smokiness comes through and wow the flavors are so satisfying. I used some of my home grown cherry tomatoes, too!
Thank you for such a delicious meal!
Hi Nanette, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Bangin’ Bharta! Went off piste and added tomato passata as well as fresh chopped; to up the smokiness also added smoked hot paprika and methi leaves. Charring the aubergines on an open flame definitely helps with the texture and the smoked flavour. As my wife was converted, for the first time, to the wonders of aubergine/eggplant with this used the same charring technique to knock up some veganised Mutabal which went down a treat too.
Awesome, Les. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
The first time I made this dish was thanks to the recipe club (please start running it again! ♥️). Since then I’ve made it countless times and it’s so unbelievably good, it’s impossible for me to have any leftovers when I make it. I’ve learned by experience not to make massive portions of it because however much I make is however much I’ll eat 😂 it’s honestly so so good and I’d highly recommend trying it!
Hi Lucija, thanks for participating in the recipe club! I’ll relay the request to start it again back to the team 🙂
I haven’t gotten the opportunity to make this one myself, I must ASAP!
💖💖💖Absolutely delicious and yummy, bursting with flavours, loving it so much
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Lallie. Thanks for your kind words!
Question, is it one cup of chopped cilantro (which I s enormous) or one cup leaves, chopped?
Hi Michelle,
We always measure my fresh herbs first, then chop it. One cup of cilantro leaves and tender stems is equivalent to one large handful or 16 grams. 1 cup of chopped cilantro would be a very big amount, as you mentioned.
On the rare occasion we chop the herbs first, then measure them, we will write it out as “¼ cup chopped cilantro (15g)” instead of “¼ cup (4g) cilantro, chopped.”
I cooked the eggplant on my gas grill and it worked great! I closed it up and it’d reach 500 degrees and got all charred, smoky and tender in half the time. Also I did three at a time because this was so delicious one eggplant didn’t make enough for my adoring family!
Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
Can you do the eggplant with a broiler? Thanks!
Hi William, you can sauté the eggplant or use a grill if you have one. Instructions are in the frequently asked questions section of the blog post. Hope that helps!
https://rainbowplantlife.com/baingan-bharta/#faq
Hi William, alternative instructions for cooking the eggplant can be found in the FAQ section! Enjoy 🙂
I can’t get good tomatoes where I live, pretty much only salad tomatoes. I used tinned plum tomatoes without all the juice. I took the somewhat maverick step of serving this with rigatoni pasta.
Overall it worked out great, clean bowls all round.
I love this dish. I freeze-dried my roasted eggplant last year just so I could make this dish anytime. And I am not a fan of eggplant.
Wow, that’s awesome to hear, LJ! 🙂
I’m very excited to try this recipe. I am thinking of cooking the eggplant on the grill. But, can you share the link to the FAQ section. I can’t find it.
Hi Raeshel, thanks for your interest in this recipe!
Unfortunately Nisha tried this recipe on a grill and does not recommend that method. You can read more about that here.
You can find the FAQ section here.
Enjoy the baingan bharta!
OMG! This was an absolute sucess in our house! 10/10
That’s amazing to hear, Steph! Thanks for the review!
I used this recipe without the red chili powder. I subbed in sweet smoked paprika and a little chili powder and it was delicious. I want to add it with naan bread but I’m leery of my kneading skills. Lol
Thanks for sharing, Shemeka! We’re delighted to hear you loved the recipe.
I added roasted garlic to this dish and immediately after the first bite one of my colleagues took he said it was delicious and was an authentic dish. He had tasted my cooking previously but had not complimented my other attempts at Indian food 😂
LOL! Well we’re happy to hear this one won him over 🙂 Thanks for giving the recipe a shot!
Great recipe it’s my go to now!!!!!!!
Hi Mary Lou, thank you so much for your kind review!
I would like to try this recipe but have just bought a new oven and gas hob. Would the roasting of the aubergine over tge open flame mess up my new hob?
Yes, just roast in oven at 425 for 1 hr.
Hi Bill, Congrats on the new oven and gas hob, how exciting! You can place foil underneath to catch any water that escapes from the eggplant while roasting. If anything spills outside the foil (or if using no foil at all), you can easily wipe up once cool enough to touch.
I have put on a cookie sheet with a little oil on parchment paper broiled it on the second rack from the top for about 30 minutes. It comes out perfect.
My garden was loaded with eggplant this year, so I was looking for something new to make, and WOW, this is amazing. I will definitely be making it again.
We’re so happy that the baingan bharta turned out well for you, Anna. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and for trying out the recipe!
“3. Mash the eggplant as described in the instructions above. You can use the Dhungar method for additional smokiness (instructions are in the FAQ).”
Where are the FAQ for the Dhungar method, please?
I didn’t find them, and a search for FAQ on your website came up blank.
Thank you!
Hi C-Mo, you can find the instructions for the Dunghar method under this question in the FAQ section: ““If I saute the eggplant, how can I get the traditional smoky flavor of baingan bharta?”
Enjoy!
Wonderful, thank you for the directions!
You’re very welcome!
That was well informed. Thank u
You’re welcome, Terry! We hope you love the recipe!
My garden is producing plenty of eggplants this year so I decided to try this. I used the sauté method and smoked paprika in lieu of turmeric and the end result was amazing. I will be prepping more to freeze. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Maryellen!