Bharvaan Baingan

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/24/21
Bharvaan Baingan

The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 6 baby eggplants
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
340 Calories
15g Fat
55g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 340
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 80mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 15g 55%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 49mg 4%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 746mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This Indian eggplant recipe, Bharvaan Baingan, is made with baby eggplants that are stuffed with a delicious, tangy spice mix of coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, garlic powder, dried coconut, garlic, and tamarind paste. They are then cooked in oil with mustard seeds, red chilies, and curry leaves until the eggplants are tender and done. A mouthwatering easy-to-cook dish that is vegetarian and vegan, too.

Small baby eggplants are used in this dish and there is no need to peel or remove the seeds. You can find eggplant in the grocery store or at farmers' markets. This vegetable does not store very long and it is best to plan to use them quickly. 

Serve this eggplant recipe with plain white rice and lehsuni daal (garlic-flavored yellow lentils) or kachumber salad.

Ingredients

  • 6 baby eggplants, stalk trimmed and partially slit into quarters

  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 3 tablespoons grated dried coconut

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste

  • 3/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds

  • 6 to 8 curry leaves

  • 2 dried red chilies

  • 1 dash salt, or to taste

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, or canola or sunflower oil

  • Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Bharvaan Baingan ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Place coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, dried coconut, and chopped garlic in a bowl and mix until combined.

    Place coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chilies, coconut and chopped garlic in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Add the tamarind paste to the spice mix a little at a time to get a thick paste. Add salt to taste and mix well.

    Add the tamarind paste to the spice mix

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Fill the slits in the eggplants with this spice paste. Set them aside.

    Fill the slits in the eggplants with this spice paste

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Heat the oil in a pan (on a medium flame) till hot. Add the mustard seeds, dry red chilies, and curry leaves and cook till spluttering stops. Add the eggplants and gently stir.

    eggplant cooking in a pot

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  6. Cook till the eggplants are done. Stir occasionally, but do it gently, so as to avoid knocking the filling out of the eggplants.

    Bharvaan Baingan in a pot

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with plain white rice and lehsuni daal (garlic-flavored yellow lentils) if desired.

    Bharvaan Baingan served with rice

    The Spruce Eats / Eric Kleinberg

Tips

Scale this recipe up or down, depending on how many servings you need.

How to Store

While it is best to eat these on the day they are made, any leftovers should be wrapped up tightly in plastic wrap or put in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. Keep in mind eggplant tends to get mushy when reheated.

What does baingan mean?

Baingan is the Hindi term for eggplant.

Are there other names for eggplant?

Eggplant, which is part of the nightshade family of vegetables, has a number of names. It is called aubergine, Guinea squash, and in South Asia and South Africa, it is more commonly called brinjal. It is popular in Indian cuisine and a native to India.

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