Baingan Masala: Baby Eggplant Curry

Baingan masala – an easy and delicious curry to make with baby eggplant. Unlike the more intricate recipes that involve stuffing the eggplant or dry-roasting the spices, this baingan masala recipe is beginner-friendly and relies on accessible ingredients. Try it!

I have used here the graffiti eggplant, which is purple with pale stripes – more specifically called Purple Rain. You could use the all-purple baby eggplant too. Just pick a variety that’s low on seeds.

You Need:

• Baby eggplant* – 6
• Onions – 2
• Tomatoes – 2
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt – to taste
• Ginger – 1 inch piece
• Garlic – 4 small cloves
• Pepper corns – 6-8
• Dry red chilies – 4
• Bay leaf – 1 (skip if you don’t have it)
• Cloves – 3
• Cardamom – 2
• Cinnamon stick – 1/2 inch
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Oil – 2 tablespoons

*Pick even-sized eggplant with smooth skin.

How To Make Baingan Masala:

1. Prep the eggplant

Chop off the stalk from each eggplant.

Make cuts into each eggplant, starting from the head towards the tip but not all the way through. For small eggplant, make two perpendicular cuts to form quarters. For larger ones, make three or four equidistant cuts to form sectors.

Follow the soaking steps to prevent discoloration of the cut eggplant.

In a wide, flat thick-bottomed pan, spread a tablespoon of oil and heat. Place the eggplants, slit-side down, into the hot oil. Arrange them so that the comparitively larger ones are towards the center of the heat.

Cook on medium-low heat, covered, till the side facing down is golden-brown.

Turn sideways, and let the sides cook all around.

Keep turning and cooking till evenly done.

This will take around 15 minutes in all.

While the eggplant cooks, you can go on to steps 2 and 3 for the curry.

2. Make the spice paste

In a grinder, place the bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, dry red chilies, pepper corns, ginger, garlic and a chopped onion.

Grind to paste. Add a few teaspoons of water while grinding, only if you must.

3. Make the curry

Slice an onion finely.

In another pan or skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil. Set heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the hot oil.

Sauté the onions, stirring periodically, till they are golden (around 7-8 minutes).

Add the ground spice paste to the pan.

Mix well, and continue to cook till the spice paste turns a deep brown.

Puree the tomatoes.

Add the pureed tomatoes to the cooking spices.

Mix well. Add turmeric powder.

Continue to cook till the onions and tomatoes have browned well and taken on a paste-like consistency.

Add two cups of water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil.

Reduce and simmer for five minutes.

4. Put it all together

Pour the curry over the cooked eggplants.

Cook for another five minutes, turning the eggplant once in between.

Baingan masala is ready.

Serve hot.

Meal below: baingan masala with chapatis, homemade yogurt, carrot sticks.

Notes:

Also try eggplant in non-curried versions: baingan bhaja, bittersweet green eggplant, eggplant in mustard-fenugreek masala.

Looking for more ways to use bay leaf? Try out pumpkin masoor dal or this sweet rice preparation flavored with bay leaf.