Today I wanted to make bagara baingan ( a specialty from Hyderabadi cuisine) and vegetable pulao for lunch. Then I found that the brinjals were of different sizes. For making bagara baingan, I prefer to use small, uniformed sized brinjals.
As I was thinking what to do, I got this idea of using yogurt as the base for the gravy and use besan as a thickening agent. Rest of the recipe fell in place as I started cooking.
It is always a great pleasure to cook up your own recipe and today was no different.
It came out very well. The gravy was creamy and rich and flavour was yummy. Everyone at home liked it. Sharing one more of my creation with you all and I hope you would like it too:)
Ingredients
Baingan ( brinjal/ kathrikai) – 1/2 kg
Besan ( Bengal gram flour/kadala maavu) – 2 tbsps
Yogurt( dahi/ thair) – 1 cup
Sugar – 1/2 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder ( jeera powder) – 2 tsps
Coriander powder( dhania powder) – 2 tsps
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsps
For the tempering
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds ( jeera) – 1/2 tsp
Roasted peanuts – 2 tbsps
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 2-3
Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – few
Hing ( asafoetida/ perungayam) – 1/4th tsp
Method
Wash and cut the brinjal and keep it immersed in water till required.
Heat oil in pan. Drain the brinjal and add. Sauté for few mins and then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
Cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the flame and cook till brinjal becomes soft.
Meanwhile, add besan, yogurt, 2 cups of water and sugar in a bowl. Mix well to a smooth slurry. There should be no lumps.
Add this to the brinjal and mix gently. Cover the pan and cook on a reduced flame till the besan is well cooked and oil starts floating on top.
Heat the oil for tempering. Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add cumin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, chilli powder, red chillies, curry leaves and hing. Sauté for few seconds and add the tempering to the gravy.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/ steamed rice/ pulao / fried rice 🙂
