Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan (Peanut Sesame Eggplant Curry)
Small eggplants fried until soft, then simmered in a tangy Hyderabadi peanut, sesame, and coconut gravy. Vegan, gluten-free, and made for biryani night.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadai
- Mixer or blender
Ingredients
For the eggplants
- 8-10 small Indian eggplants baby brinjal, about 400 to 450 g
- 1/2 teaspoon salt for rubbing the slits
- 3-4 tablespoons oil for frying, plus more as needed
For the ground masala
- 1/4 cup raw peanuts
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons grated fresh coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2-3 dry red chilies to taste
- 1/4 cup water for grinding, plus more as needed
For the gravy
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder Kashmiri for color, or hotter to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons thick tamarind pulp from a lime-sized ball soaked in warm water, or store-bought pulp
- 1-1 1/4 cups water as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon jaggery or sugar optional, to balance the tang
- fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Prep the eggplants
- Wash and dry the eggplants. Keep the stems on. Make a deep cross slit from the base toward the stem, stopping before you cut through.
- Rub a little salt into the slits. Rest 10 minutes, then wipe dry.
Roast and grind the masala
- In a dry pan on medium-low heat, roast peanuts until fragrant and lightly spotted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Tip onto a plate.
- In the same pan, roast sesame seeds until they start to pop and smell nutty, about 1 minute. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and dry red chilies. Roast 30 to 45 seconds more.
- Add coconut and stir 1 minute until the raw smell goes and the coconut turns pale gold. Do not let it burn.
- Cool slightly. Grind peanuts, sesame mix, and coconut with 1/4 cup water to a smooth, thick paste. Add a splash more water if the blender struggles.
Fry the eggplants
- Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons oil in a wide kadai over medium heat.
- Add the slit eggplants. Fry 6 to 8 minutes, turning often, until the skin softens and looks blistered and a spoon presses easily into the flesh. Transfer to a plate. Keep any remaining oil in the pan.
Build the gravy
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to the pan if it looks dry. Add mustard seeds and let them pop. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Sizzle 20 to 30 seconds.
- Add onion. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
- Add ginger-garlic paste. Cook 1 minute until the raw smell goes.
- Lower the heat. Stir in turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cook 20 to 30 seconds.
- Add the ground masala paste. Cook on medium-low 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the paste thickens, darkens a shade, and the oil starts to separate at the edges.
- Stir in tamarind pulp and 1 cup water. Mix well. Taste. Add jaggery if the tang feels sharp.
- Nestle the fried eggplants into the gravy. Spoon sauce into the slits. Cover and simmer on low 8 to 10 minutes until the eggplants are fully soft and the gravy coats them thickly. Add a splash of water if it gets too stiff.
- Rest 5 minutes off heat. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
Fry the eggplants properly before the gravy. That is the difference between soft, flavor-soaked baingan and firm centers floating in sauce.
Roast the coconut and seeds gently. Burnt sesame or coconut makes the gravy bitter.
Thick tamarind pulp is better than watery extract. Start with 1 1/2 tablespoons if your pulp is very strong, then adjust.
No fresh coconut: use unsweetened desiccated coconut, and soak it in 2 tablespoons warm water for 5 minutes before roasting or grinding.
Onion-garlic free: skip onion and ginger-garlic. Bloom a pinch of hing with the mustard tempering and cook the paste a minute longer so it does not taste raw. Flavor will be different from classic Hyderabadi, but still good.
Make-ahead: fry eggplants and grind the paste earlier. Finish the gravy and simmer together just before serving so the brinjals stay intact.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water. The gravy thickens as it sits.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!