Indian restaurants in the UK make the best aubergine famous as brinjal bhaji. Here’s a simple and quick recipe you can try at home. This South Indian eggplant curry features purple eggplant, sautéed onions, tomatoes, and a blend of classic Indian spices.
Looking for a family-friendly vegetarian dish to enjoy for lunch or dinner? Try pairing this bhaji recipe with boiled basmati rice or chapati/naan!
Eggplant is an incredibly versatile vegetable that can be prepared in several ways, always resulting in a delightful dish bursting with flavor. Whether you choose to pan-fry it, bake it in a casserole, make a curry, or bharta. every version of eggplant is simply delicious and full of taste.
Using brinjals, I recently made the incredibly popular Lebanese Baba Ganoush without Tahini , and it’s the ideal dip to enjoy with Turkish flatbread. Give it a shot; I’m sure you’ll love it!
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What is Brinjal Bhaji?
Brinjal, also known as baingan or eggplant, is a versatile vegetable that shines in a traditional Indian dish called bhaji. This dish features diced brinjal pan-fried and served in a rich curry or as a delightful appetizer. Here’s a recipe for brinjal bhaji cooked in a thick gravy, a beloved South Indian eggplant curry that pairs wonderfully with naan or rice, making it perfect for lunch or dinner.
In North America, it’s commonly referred to as eggplant bhaji due to its egg-like shape, while in the UK, it’s known as aubergine bhaji. In the Indian subcontinent, this recipe is cherished as brinjal curry or bhaji, belonging to the nightshade family, Solanaceae.
I have fond memories of enjoying this veg curry, as my mother often prepared various vegetarian dishes for lunch, always served with rice. Occasionally, she would include potatoes in the eggplant curry, but I prefer it on its own, as the blend of onions, tomatoes, and spices creates a delightful flavor.
If you’re a fan of vegetarian cuisine and looking for low-carb options, this recipe is just for you. All you need are fresh eggplants, and there’s no need to rush to the store since it requires minimal spices and can be whipped up in no time. It’s not only delicious but also visually appealing with its vibrant purple and red hues.
Once cooked, eggplant becomes incredibly tender and soft, offering a unique combination of sour and naturally sweet flavors, along with a hint of vegetal bitterness from the skin. You can choose to cook it with or without the skin, depending on your preference.
Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe is straightforward, fast, and requires minimal ingredients.
- All the ingredients used in this recipe is readily available in your pantry.
- You can easily prepare this recipe within 15 to 20 minutes.
- It complements naan, paratha, and rice perfectly.
- It's an excellent choice to serve as a side dish with chapathi for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Brinjal (eggplant): Select purple eggplant with fewer seeds. It should be firm, tender, and fresh, showcasing a deep purple hue. Try to use fresh eggplant to prepare flavorful bhaji.
Oil: This ingredient is essential for cooking the curry, acting as a lubricant to create a shiny and appealing bhaji.
Onion: Use finely chopped onion for this dish. I prefer using a machine chopper to achieve a perfect texture for the curry.
Garlic: Chopped garlic is included in this recipe. However, if you're not fond of the flavor, feel free to omit it.
Tomato Paste: Remove the skin from the tomatoes and blend them in a chopper to create fresh tomato paste. Using store-bought paste can alter the flavor of the curry.
Spices: Season the recipe with salt, black salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and homemade garam masala. If you have curry powder on hand, you can use it to simplify the spice selection.
How to Make Brinjal Bhaji
1. Pour some oil into a pan and allow it to warm up for a few minutes.
2. Sauté onion until it turns translucent.
3. Mix in the chopped garlic to sauté alongside the onions.
4. Once the onion begins to change color, stir in the spices along with the garam masala powder.
5. Stir everything together well. Sauté for about 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat to eliminate the raw flavor of the spices.
6. Next, incorporate the tomato paste.
7. Increase the heat and cook the tomatoes until you achieve a rich, one-tone curry.
8. Toss in the brinjal cubes and continue cooking on high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently to blend the brinjal with the curry.
9. Add a little water.
10. Mix it all together thoroughly.
11. Cover the pan and let the brinjal simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
12. After 15 minutes, it will be ready to enjoy.
Tips to Cook Brinjal
- Make sure to thoroughly wash and clean the brinjal/eggplant before using it.
- Always chop the eggplant just before cooking to prevent it from discoloring.
- Brining the eggplant isn't required for this recipe, but feel free to do so if you prefer.
- Choose high-quality eggplant for the best results.
- For brinjal bhaji, keep the skin on.
- Be careful not to cook the eggplant for too long.
- Pre-salting isn't needed for this dish.
- Try to avoid making the bhaji too watery; it should have a thick, consistent, and semi-dry texture.
How to Store Leftover Bhaji
Keep any leftovers in a sealed glass container and place them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If you leave it out on the kitchen counter, it should be fine for about 12 to 15 hours, but this can vary with the room temperature. In hot and humid conditions, it's best to refrigerate it.
If you're considering freezing it, just pack it in a freezer bag and it will last for 15 to 20 days. Since vegetables can easily attract bacteria, try not to store them for too long, as they don't have preservatives.
More Eggplant Ideas
Q & A
Yes, you can use Indian curry powder to simplify your cooking by avoiding the need to add individual spices. Curry powder is a wonderful blend that includes garam masala, making it perfect for your curries.
It's perfectly acceptable to cook eggplant with its skin on. While the skin can have a slightly bitter flavor, many choose to remove it; however, it’s packed with vitamins and contributes a lovely vegetal taste to your curry, enhancing its overall flavor. Baby eggplants, in particular, have a more pleasant skin that is great for cooking.
The flesh of the eggplant is firm, mild, and creamy, boasting a robust vegetal flavor. Although the skin has a bit of bitterness, it is rich in vitamins and contains an antioxidant called nasunin, which helps protect cell membranes.
To find a good eggplant with fewer seeds, look for smaller, younger ones. Larger, mature eggplants tend to be filled with seeds and have a mushy texture.
Brinjal Bhaji (Aubergine Bhaji Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Brinjal cubes (Aubergine)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ Cup Onion chopped
- ½ Cup Fresh Tomato Paste
- 2 Cloves Garlic Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ teaspoon Black Salt
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- ⅓ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
Instructions
- Heat a pan and drizzle in some oil. Sauté the finely chopped onion and garlic until they turn a lovely golden color.
- Toss in your spices and mix everything well. Let it cook for about 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat to eliminate any raw spice flavor.
- Next, stir in the tomato paste and increase the heat to achieve a uniform curry consistency.
- Add the brinjal cubes and continue cooking on high heat for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure the brinjal is well combined with the curry.
- Pour in a little water and mix it all together.
- Cover the pan and let the brinjal simmer on low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, it will be all set to serve.
Notes
- Make sure to thoroughly wash and clean the eggplant before using it.
- Always cut the eggplant just before cooking to prevent it from changing color..
- Choose high-quality eggplants for the best results.
- When preparing brinjal bhaji, keep the skin on.
- Be careful not to cook the eggplant for too long.
- Pre-salting isn't needed for this dish.
- Aim for a thick, consistent, and semi-dry texture for the bhaji, avoiding any watery consistency.
Hinz
Quick and easy recipe of eggplant curry famous as Brinjal Bhaji in South India. Extremely delicious vegan idea for foodies to try at home.