Friday, January 29, 2010

Bagara Baingan-Hyderabad style/Stuffed Brinjals in a rich gravy

I was never a fan of brinjals/egg plant/ baingan until I landed in Hyderabad. The city of the famous Charminar. You have heard us (both Sunitha and I have lived in Hyderabad at different times) rant about this city and it's cuisine endlessly. Being from the south of India, even if we were not in Hyderabad, I think a mention for Telangana and Hyderabadi cuisine is inevitable. They top the charts with their myriad dishes. They have used every leaf and spice culminating into their fascinating cuisine.
Biriyani, Mughalai dish, in Hyderabad is the best. And the best side dish is bagara baingan ("Gutti vankaya kura")or michi ka salan. The former, our topic of conversation today, is a gravy made with sesame seeds, peanuts, dessicated coconut, cilantro, mint leaves and a host of other spices ground to a smooth paste with stuffed, fried baingan floating.

The smooth blend of ingredients is fiery, mellow and bursting with flavor. A quintessential party dish.  Pair it with rotis, nans, parathas, or any rice and you can never disappoint your guests. On your next visit to India be sure to visit Hyderabad.  If you are already in India make a trip there and look Charminar, Biriyani and bagara baingan in pretty much this order.  If you are a lady get a mehandi design there as well.

Bagara baingan

Ingredients:

For stuffing and gravy:

Peanuts(dry roasted and skinned)- 3/4 cup
Sesame seeds-white(dry roasted)- 1/4 cup
Coconut(frozen, fresh or dried)-1/4 cup
Red chilli powder- 2 Tsp
Cumin powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Cloves- 2-3
Cinnamon- A small piece
Salt

For the gravy:

Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Onion(finely chopped)- 1/4 cup
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp
Tamarind pulp- 1/3 cup
Small brinjals- 8-9
Oil- 2 Tbsp

Method:

1.Grind together everything listed under stuffing, without adding any water.Add a couple of tspns of tamarind pulp and mix it.
2.Wash and clean the brinjals. If it is really fresh keep the stalks intact.(What we get here is not so fresh , so I had to remove them !)
3.Keep the side of stalk intact and make 2 cuts ; one horizontally, and the second one vertically , making a + sign when you look from the top.
4.Immerse this in salted water for 10 minutes and wash and pat dry them before stuffing them.
5.Carefully stuff each brinjal with the ground paste.Do not break them into pieces.
6.Heat oil in a pan, splutter the mustard seeds. Saute the onion in this.
7.once the onion is done add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes.
8.Meanwhile in another pan, pour some oil and saute the stuffed brinjals. Be careful and use a tong to turn them around.This should be done on low heat and it takes 10-12 mintes.
9.Once the ginger-garlic paste is cooked add the remaining stuffing and the tamarind pulp into this. Add a little water to make it bit thinner.
10.Cook it slowly on low heat. It takes almost 15 minutes for the peanut to be cooked.
11.Towards the end, add the fried brinjals into this, and cook covered for another 5-6 minutes.
12.Garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm with roti, naan or biryani.

Bagara baingan

We would like to send this off to Priya's event



Thanks for hosting this fun event Priya :-)

67 comments:

  1. That looks wouth-watering. The gravy looks creamy, thick and delicious. Would be great with rice or paratha. For your info, you can adjust setting to your comment box to allow for 'Name/URL' so that more people can leave comments.

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  2. Wow curry looks very tempting beautiful color and brilliant color!!!

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  3. It's so beautiful. I want to make everything here!

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  4. I have never been to Hyderabad but you bet I love that "Gutti Vankaya" stuff, give it to me anytime. Looks delicious!! Greta entry.

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  5. Gravy looks so creamy and rich. Just loved it.

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  6. Creamy and tempting...and as usual awesome click...

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  7. oh wow!! gravy is so so gud!really mouth watering!

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  8. Ha Ha Ha, LOL, ROFL, LMAO -- not at the dish dear, but the choice. Cause I have drafted a post of the same choice for the very same event. I will be posting it on Monday. Its a dry gravy though.

    Love your dish by the way. Would love this with roti or rice.

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  9. Yummmy rich gravy..i had tried this watching Vahchef's video,was yum and totally diff frm our style..looks perfect

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  10. This is one of my favorite dish, would love to grab that bowl.

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  11. I love anything cooked with aubergines.Yummy and nice click as always.

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  12. I wish the farmer's markets were open so I could get some baby eggplants, because I am going to try this for sure!

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  13. Looks so delicious..very tempting too..nice click dear :-)

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  14. Watelse i need, such a tempting hyderbadi baingan makes me hungry...thanks for sending to CWS..

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  15. Wow This Looks Delicious,What a color,Very tempting....

    Great entry...

    Thanks for sharing the Recipe...

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  16. Gravy looks rich and creamy...

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  17. wow the gravy looks so creamy and rich...and a beautiful pic too

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  18. Oh I actually love anything with brinjal! This one is my fav!

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  19. looks so yummy and delicious! This is similar to the bharleli wangi recipe from maharashtra.. great clicks as always.

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  20. I have no words to describe... Great presentation... it looks sooo yummy.. following u now...

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  21. Gravy looks rich and yummy,creamy as well...lovely clicks as usual..

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  22. Wow another great way to cook brinjal!!!

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  23. Droolworthy! Brinjal is my favorite and it's spicy and hot!

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  24. Never had any eggplants made this way...looks so delicious.

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  25. I dont like brinjal at all..But thsi makes me go and cook it

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  26. I prepare stuffed brinjals but its a dry gravy .I like your rich gravy which is tempting me to prepare soon as I love both brinjals and sesame seeds.Bookmarked this recipe.

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  27. Oh... lovely picture!!... totally tempting!

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  28. even people who do not like baingan they would just adore bharawa baingan. I simply love it...especially your picture makes it totally drool worthy.

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  29. Never tried this before...Looks very rich and creamy...

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  30. bookmarked this unique and easy recipe.love the texture.

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  31. Look so beautiful and I bet it taste nice too.

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  32. Gravy looks lovely and yummy. Nice color.

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  33. `looks very creamy and thick....nice pics

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  34. Any gravy that is infused with that many peanuts sounds addictive to me. And all the delicious spices don't hurt either!

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  35. It looks creamy and delicious.
    See soon.

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  36. This is one of my favourite dish...would love to have this:)

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  37. yummy yummm..love this curry so much..such a favorite with diff names !!!

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  38. wow...i never tried baingan bharta this way. the gravy looks creamy n rich.

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  39. ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....can't stop looking bagara baigan..i love them:))i don't make them often but when i do i make in a big quantity..yours looks yummy and irrisistable...

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  40. wow this luks soooo tempting namitha...very nice recipe, thnx for sharing n nice tempting clicks

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  41. That sounds so tangy and delicious!

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  42. Gosh!!I just feel in love with rich texture of the gravy and I'm nuts about eggplants. Would be perfectly delicious with white rice topped with 1tsp of ghee hmmm!!!!!

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  43. Dear...I am drooling over here...looks absolutely delicious :)

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  44. The gravy looks so silky smooth and irresistible with baigan :D

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  45. Haha brinjal is my favourite and this one is certainly for me. I am quite lucky to grow up with friends from all part of India so pretty good at adapting my taste buds whenever Indian food is served .

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  46. wowww..This looks so rich and creamy..I will defintely keep this recipe in my mind when I cook eggplant next time.

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  47. The pictures are beautiful!
    this dish looks so good!

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  48. Beautiful click as always and a tempting recipe!

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  49. omg...looks mouthwatering...awesome clicks dear..

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  50. looks absoultely royal..yummm with chapatis, loved the clarity of the snaps.
    tc

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  51. Oh my bagara baigan looks fantastic, what a rich color of the gravy!

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  52. Dear,

    I didn't have to look at the pictures to mouth water , your description made me hungry even more!!!

    I'm not going to Hyderabad to relish this, coming stright to your home right now!!!!!the flavour of the sesame seeds will show me the way :):) fantastic dish!!!

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  53. Oh My !! that looks soo creamy and mouthwatering...you are making me droll, Namitha :) And I don't know, how I missed so many posts on your blog :( actually I am busy these day, coz I am going to India this month.. and lots of this to do before I go..so, not able to visit and comment very often :(

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  54. Love Bahara Baingan, they are simply out of this world, as usual....your picture makes one drool'. Awesome presentation. I lived in Hyderabad too...yes, you are right...can't help but keep ranting about their delicacies and fascinating culture and food....yummmm.

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  55. wowww..awesome.. never heard this before :) nice click tooo

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  56. Wow!! Excellent click as always..Looks so creamy and yummy!! Kidu

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  57. Wow...creamy and yummy gravy. I happen to taste this dish many times, but never tried at home...I have bookmarked..Thanks for sharing Namitha :).

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  58. Wow, Namitha. What a delicacy and I just love eggplants in any form. This Bagara Baingan looks so perfect with its rich, creamy and flavorful gravy.Beautiful Click. I had heard abt this but never got a chance to try it..Now I'm going to make it for sure. In fact this will go perfect with my Naan recipe I just posted.You get the Bagara Baingan and I get the naan..lol

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  59. wow!!!the gravy looks really creammy.

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  60. I love eggplants and your gravy looks incredibly delicious! This simple recipe sounds so wonderful, can't wait to give it a try:)

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  61. I have never used sesame seeds in cooking until now...this looks so interesting that I don't have a choice but to try this...

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  62. And you forgot those lovely bangles near Charminar!! :)
    Am considering myself lucky, because in laws are in AP, and I never miss this wonderful cuisine! Bagara baigan looks wonderful!!!

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