Kashmiri Style Khatte Baingan

This one is a childhood favourite that comes to us from my mother’s Kashmiri friend, Kavita aunty. Like you may have already heard on our Podcast, a lot of new recipes that my mother tried, came from her colleagues. Sometimes these recipes came from her friends who she travelled with in the chartered bus on her way to work. Kavita aunty is that friend who was a colleague and a co-passenger. This super simple and delicious Khatte Baingan is just one of the many recipes that she shared with my mother.

Beauty in Simplicity

The great part of this Kashmiri Khatte Baingan recipe is how with such few ingredients and such little time, it yields a delicious, more-ish and tangy curry. All you need is saunf, tamarind and baingan – eggplant, aubergine, brinjal, vangun – whatever you call them, whatever you find, you can make this curry with them.

The resultant dish is what we at home call a lagi-lipti sabzi, meaning a sabzi that does not have too much sauce, nor is it completely dry. These Kashmiri Khatte Baingan have just a bit of sauce which is something you can adjust to your liking by adding more or less water.

Just Three Main Ingredients

Coming to the other essentials – Tamarind or Imli and Fennel Seeds or Saunf, I usually stock these in my kitchen. So for me, if I have Baingan, I can make these Khatte Baingan in a jiffy. If you do not have Tamarind for some reason, you can use desi tamatar – a particular Indian variety of tomatoes that are a bit more tart and a lot juicier than other varieties. This recipe is extremely versatile!

Let’s make Kashmiri Style Khatte Baingan

Prep time: 10 minutes approximately, Cook Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 25 minutes

Yields: 2 cups, Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Eggplants, any variety, 500 grams
• Tamarind (Imli), 1 tablespoon worth (If using Tamarind paste, use 2 tablespoons)
• Fennel Seeds (Saunf), 1 tablespoons (if using fennel seed powder, add 2 teaspoons)
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable Oil, 1/8 cup (I used Peanut oil)
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
• Filtered Water, 1/2 cup plus more for soaking tamarind

Don’t have Tamarind? No problem! You can make these Khatte Baingan with Desi Tamatar. See notes below.

Equipment

• A small mesh strainer (optional)
• A Wok (Kadhai)
• A turner

Method

Soaking the Tamarind to make a thin extract

Start by soaking the tamarind in warm water for 5-10 minutes. If you are using tamarind paste, dilute it in around 1/4th cup of water.

• 

• 

Meanwhile wash and pat dry the eggplants. Cut them whichever way you like. I used baby eggplants and cut them into quarters. If the eggplants you are using are bigger, cut them into six or eight pieces. Bigger eggplants can be cut into 1 cm thick disks.

Frying the sliced Eggplants

Place a kadhai or pan on medium heat. Add oil and let it heat. Next, gently place all the sliced eggplants in the hot oil. Cook for 7-10 minutes by stirring them occasionally till they start browning. Don’t over stir. You could add more oil here, if you like these to be done faster. Once done, take them out in a plate.

• 

• 

• 

The eggplants are thirsty and soak up most of the oil. If there is a lot of oil left in the kadhai, take out some so that only 1 tablespoon worth is left – you need very little oil now.

Turn the heat to low or shut it off till you are ready to proceed with the next step.

Prep for a Simple Tadka

Now it is time to check the soaked tamarind. Mash it well with your clean hands to make a pulp. After that, strain the pulp into another bowl and keep it ready, next to your kadhai. You may add a little more water to the strained pulp to extract more.

Next, transfer a tablespoon of saunf or fennel seeds to a mortar pestle and pound to make a coarse powder. Alternatively, you could also just use the fennel seeds as they are, or choose to use it in a powdered form.

Make the Simple Tadka for Kashmiri Khatte Baingan

Back in the kadhai (which you should keep on low heat), tip in the saunf or fennel seed powder. As soon as it blooms and starts changing its colour to brown, add the thin tamarind extract.

• 

• 

• 

Tip in the fried eggplants next, followed by salt to your taste and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of Kashmiri Red chilli powder.

• 

• 

• 

Next, add around half a cup of water and mix very gently. You don’t want to break the softened eggplants. Once the salt and Kashmiri red chilli powder are incorporated, cover the kadhai with a lid and let the dish bubble away for 5-7 minutes.

At the half-way mark, check and stir very gently for the appearance of glistening oil on top of the Khatte Baingan. You will need to be very gentle when stirring to avoid breaking the soft eggplants. I recommend using a turner to just nudge the dish from the edges.

After cooking for 5-7 minutes, the water would have reduced and you will see just a little bit of sauce enveloping the Khatte Baingan.

Serve these decadent Kashmiri style Khatte Baingan with some rice and yogurt or mop them up with some hot parathas!

Don’t have Tamarind? Use desi tamatar or Indian tomatoes that are juicier and more sour in taste. Start with the above steps till frying of the eggplants. Then, finely chop 2 medium sized desi tamatar and add them to the tadka after you add the fennel seeds. After that, cook the tomatoes until they are mushy and till you see a bit of oil separate.
Cooking tomatoes benefits from salt, so maybe add a pinch or two. Finally, adjust the salt when you tip in the fried eggplants and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Add water and cook covered for 5-7 minutes, checking at the half way mark.