Aloo Baingan – potatoes cooked with aubergines/eggplant/brinjal in a tomato – onion tadka. Or, if you are from a home where the aubergine is given more weightage then it becomes baingan with some aloo. Something most of us did not enjoy as kids! But the other way round was plenty tasty. Although during summers the sheer abundance of eggplant in all sizes, shapes and colors (yep, there are some that are white!) made the thought of this sabzi seem unappetizing. But all it took to forget that grudge was a bite with a warm chapati or crisp parantha. The tanginess of aubergines paired with starchy potatoes makes this really comforting. Each bite brings a burst of umami from the combination of cooked tomatoes and the natural tang of brinjal. You really must try it!
A hardy vegetable savored from the Himalayas to the Southern tip of India!
Aubergines are perennial plants that can grow, flower and fruit for multiple years if cared for relatively well. They are not fussy! In arid parts of India they are considered drought tolerant and thrive in home gardens. My father has been successful in cultivating varieties of brinjal in Hyderabad – hot and dry, and Bhopal, where the average humidity is higher.
And so it is that eggplants are enjoyed even in Kashmir. Sakshi wrote a recipe for Kashmiri style Khatte Baingan which I highly recommend. In Kashmir Baingan is called Wangun. Notice the etymological similarity? Kashmir is one of a few regions in India where it snows in the winters. Fresh produce is scant for those months. To compensate for that, Kashmiris sun-dry ingredients like Wangun, Ruwangun (tomatoes) and Guchchi (wild morel mushrooms). While they do this, others in more sub-tropical parts of India enjoy the vegetable year round. Sambhar often features eggplants! And us Punjabis love to make baingan bharta enjoyed with parathas or as part of an ensemble meal of dal, sabzi and chapati.
Let’s make Aloo Baingan Sabzi
There is much more that can be done with baingan – bharwan (stuffed), fried into fritters (baingan bhaja), or cooked as in this Baingan ki Kachri and even a baingan biryani. For now, let’s proceed with Aloo Baingan.
Cooking Time: ~ 45 minutes
Inactive: 15 minutes, Active: 30 minutes
You’ll need a Kadhai or wok, or a large frying pan with a lid. If neither any pot with a lid and heavy base will be sufficient.
Ingredients for Aloo Baingan:
- Eggplants/Brinjal/Aubergines – 2 pounds ~ 900 grams to 1 kg
- Potatoes – 2 to 3 (less if you are using a large potato)
- Garlic – 2-3 cloves, smashed and chopped (can skip, I prefer ginger heavy sabzi in winter months)
- Ginger 1 inch piece, chopped
- Green Chillies 3-4, chopped
- Onion – 1 medium or 1/2 large, sliced
- Tomato – 1 medium or 1/2 large, chopped
- Oil ~ 2 tbsp
- Heeng/Asafetida – a pinch (optional)
- Zeera / cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)
- Salt – 1 tsp or to taste
- Fresh chopped coriander(cilantro) for garnish
To make Aloo Baingan:
Firstly, as always, wash the ingredients. For potatoes I highly recommend using a scrub, even a regular kitchen scrub will do. This will help clean off any residual dust and grime. I prefer using my potatoes unpeeled. If you choose to peel them, then give them a second rinse before chopping into cubes. Don’t cut the potatoes too fine, see photos for reference. Clean the eggplants, remove the stems and proceed to chop them too, about the same size as potatoes.
Chop some, slice some – it makes a difference!
Next, clean and chop garlic, ginger and green chillies, if using. During the winters I prefer to use only ginger and skip the garlic. To compensate for that I recommend using heeng. But otherwise, use both garlic and ginger. Similarly, clean and cube tomato and, slice the onion. I highly suggest slicing onions for sabzi like this because that size caramelizes faster and melds into the masala versus finely chopped onion. Try it and you’ll notice the difference!
Now onto cooking. Put a kadhai or heavy bottomed pan on the stove at medium high heat. Add oil once the pan feels warm. Then add heeng (if using), cumin seeds, chillies and, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes or just enough to brown the ginger and garlic. Throw in tomato and onion and sauté until tomato is mushy and onion translucent. You could cover the kadhai and turn the heat to medium or low. This usually helps the onion and tomato cook with their own moisture and steam.
Once the onion-tomato masala looks ready add chopped aloo and baingan. Mix them well so that they are entirely coated in the masala. If needed, add about 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through and eggplants almost dissolving. That’s it! Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with fresh chapatis or parathas.
Ready to eat!
My favorite way of eating a sabzi like this is served right on top of a chapati or parantha. You can let the flavors seep into the center of that chapati and in the meantime start nibbling away from the outer most perimeter until you reach that moist center. It’s delicious!
Hope you will try this recipe that is very common in our Punjabi households and explore more ideas on the blog.
More baingan recipes to try:
Aloo Baingan
Equipment
- Kadhai with a lid or large pan with a lid.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Eggplants Preferably small
- 3 Potatoes Less if large
- 2-3 cloves Garlic Smashed and chopped
- 1 1 inch piece Ginger Chopped
- 2-3 Small Green Chillies Thai chillies in the US
- 1 Onion or 1/2 if its large
- 1 Tomato or 2 if they are small
- 2 tbsp Oil
- pinch Heeng/Asafetida
- 1 tsp Zeera/Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Dhania/Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Mirch/Red chilli powder
- 1 tsp Salt Adjust to taste
- Fresh coriander for garnish
Instructions
- Wash and clean potatoes and eggplants. Remove eggplants stems. Cube potatoes and eggplants.
- Clean and chop garlic, ginger and green chillies. Similarly, clean and cube tomato and, slice the onion.
- Put a kadhai or heavy bottomed pan on the stove at medium high heat. Add oil once the pan feels warm. Then add heeng (if using), cumin seeds, chillies and, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes or just enough to brown the ginger and garlic.
- Next, add tomato and onion and sauté until tomato is mushy and onion translucent. You could cover the kadhai and turn the heat to medium or low. This usually helps the onion and tomato cook with their own moisture and steam.
- Once the onion-tomato masala looks ready add chopped aloo and baingan. Mix them well so that they are entirely coated in the masala. If needed, add about 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are cooked through and eggplants almost dissolving.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with fresh chapatis or parathas.
Notes
- I prefer using my potatoes unpeeled. If you choose to peel them, then give them a second rinse before chopping into cubes. Don’t cut the potatoes too fine, see photos for reference.
- During the winters I prefer to use only ginger and skip the garlic. To compensate for that I recommend using heeng. But otherwise, use both garlic and ginger.
- I highly suggest slicing onions for sabzi like this because that size caramelizes faster and melds into the masala versus finely chopped onion. Try it and you’ll notice the difference!
- My favorite way of eating a sabzi like this is served right on top of a chapati or parantha. You can let the flavors seep into the center of that chapati and in the meantime start nibbling away from the outer most perimeter until you reach that moist center. It’s delicious!