Chatpata Baigan/ Spicy Brinjal

If you are looking for a vegetarian recipe to woo your guests or family — something that can be served with both rice or Indian flat-breads or even pulav — your search ends here. However, be warned that this is not a recipe for the faint hearted or even diet watchers. The aroma and flavours of this recipe are best released when you are generous with the oil and spices. Also note that no water is used during the cooking.

 

Ingredients

  • One large Brinjal
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Turmeric
  • Chili powder
  • Bengali 5 spice
  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Green chilies
  • Dry red chilies
  • Tamarind pulp
  • Salt and sugar to taste
  • Mustard Oil for cooking

 

Method

  • Cut the brinjals into roundels and apply turmeric and salt
  • Heat oil in a pan
  • Fry the round sliced brinjals and set aside
  •  In the oil remaining in the pan, add panch phoran for tempering
  • When the spices sputter put in the finely chopped onion, garlic paste, cumin paste, 1 pinch of whole coriander, 1 pinch of whole cumin, slit green chills, dry red chilies and stir in all together.
  • Now follow it up with all the other ingredients like chili powder, turmeric powder, tamarind pulp, salt and keep stirring till cooked
  • Put the fried brinjal slices in the prepared masala
  • Sprinkle some sugar and cook till the sugar melts and gets mixed in
  • The gravy shall be a thick one just about coating the brinjal roundels
  • Your dish is now ready to be plated.
  • In case you can’t get tamarind pulp you can substitute it with vinegar or tomato puree or even diluted tomato ketchup (which in most cases has tamarind content)