This is a wonderful traditional recipe which I came across in Hyderabad during my stay over there. We lived in Hyderabad for over 4 years and loved the culture and vibes of the city. The city has some wonderful varieties of cuisines available. The prominent among them is the local Andhra cuisine and the Muslim cuisine by the Nizams, both flavourful in their own ways.

Hyderabadi cuisine is the native cooking style of the Hyderabadi Muslims, which was developed and enhanced with the Qutb Shahi dynasty and became the royal cuisine of the Nizams of Hyderabad State. It is influenced by Mughlai, Turkish, and Arabic cuisines. In addition, the local Telegu cuisine  distinctly spicy due to the use of fiery chillies which are a local produce of the state.

Under the  supervision and patronage of the Nizams, the cuisine became popular creating an array of delicious dishes. The use of khuskhus or poppy seeds and roasted peanuts are seen widely used providing a nutty texture to the vegetarian and meat gravy.

The baghaar-e-baingan recipe involves cooking of small egg plants in a rich creamy gravy prepared with roasted sesame seeds, roasted groundnuts and poppy seeds paste. The souring agents used is tamarind extract which is also quite popularly seen in Hyderabadi cuisine.

Ingredients:

For grinding:
1 tbsp peanuts,
1 tbsp fresh coconut,
1 tbsp coriander seeds,
1 tsp sesame seeds,

Other Ingredients:
250 gms small variety eggplants, (I have used the purple variety),
1/2 tsp onion seeds,
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds,
10 curry leaves,
1 tsp jeera,
1/2 cup browned onion, (thin onion slices, deep fried)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste,
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
Pulp of one lime sized tamarind,
2 tbsp oil,
Salt as per taste,

Method:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients that needs to be ground, separately. Remove the skin from the peanuts and grind it into a thick fine paste. Set aside.
2. Give a criss-cross slit to the eggplant right until the stalk and dip it in salt water. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add the onion seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves. Once it crackles, add the ginger garlic paste and fry. 
4. Add the turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Add a little water, so that the masala doesnt get burnt.
5. Add the browned onions and fry some more.
6. Add the ground paste and fry well. Add a little water to make it a thick gravy. 
7. Add the eggplants into this gravy, mix well. Add salt and a little water. Cover and let it simmer until the eggplants are half cooked.
8. Add the tamarind pulp and mix well. Adjust the seasoning and leave it to cook for another 5 mins.
9. Garnish with green coriander and serve hot.

You can serve it as a normal gravy dish along with roti’s, paratha’s, or steamed rice. This dish can be served as a side with Hyderabadi Kacchi Gosht Biryani dish.

Check out my other eggplant recipe here.