BAGARA BAINGAN CURRY (HYDERABADI)

Bagara baingan is traditional dish of Hyderabadi cuisine which forms part of Indian cuisine this is basically side dish with Indian flat bread (chapati/pulka/nan/roomali roti) or with with Biryani.

Main Ingredients

500 gm small baingans/aubergines/Egg Plants

1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
2 tea spoons coriander powder
1 tea spoon cumin powder 
11/2 tea spoon red chili powder
4 tbsp oil 
1 big onion chopped (or coarsely minced)

3-4 green chilies, chopped

salt 

For the masala paste

2 tbsp raw peanuts
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp white sesame seeds/til

For Seasoning /Tadka/tampering 

1 table spoon mustard seeds

2 dry chilies 

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 inch stick of cinnamon

2-3 cloves

1 bay leaf

2 cardamom

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, chopped

1 lemon sized tamarind ball made to juice 

¼ cup water

Method

1. heat a tava add little oil to wok/tawa/kadai and Dry roast raw peanuts,sesame seeds and lastly add desiccated coconut 
2. roast the spices with the coconut. till you get nice  aroma of the roasted spices cook them.Keep aside and  after the spices cooled,make coarse paste of the roasted ingredients with water in your blender or mixer,keep aside
3. make juice of lemon size de seeded tamarind in warm water and keep it aside
4. Now wash the baingan/aubergines/egg plants (small ones only)Make slit in four corners from bottom keeping the stem intact 
5. 
6.  soak them in salted water for 15-20 minutes.(this will help to arrest oxidization(blackening of egg plant)
7. drain after 15-20 minutes. in a pan heat 2 -3 cups edible  oil and add the baingan/Egg plant and 1 tsp salt. saute over low fire for 8-10 minutes.The egg plants should be 80 % done 
8. Now remove the 80% fried egg plants from wok 
9. 
10.  heat the remaining oil. add cumin seeds ,mustard seeds ,dry chilies ,and other whole spices listed above and let them splutter.
11. Now add Coarsely done onions(onion paste)
12. Now add 2 tsps of Ginger garlic paste 
13. cook for 5 minutes till garlic paste looses its raw flavor in medium flame.
14. now add the Peanut and sesame seeds  paste and start to fry it.
15. continue frying the masala paste.cook in low flame (else the masala get burnt)
16. add the turmeric powder,Coriander powder,Cumin powder,Red chili powder  to the paste.
17. mix the all powders with the masala paste.Stir well
18. fry the paste for about 20-25 minutes till the oil starts to float on the surface. and now add the cooked baingans along with 1¼ cups water.
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20. 
22. mix and simmer for 8-10 minutes.Add little sugar (1 /2tsp) add tamarind juice
23. add more salt if required. as we have added salt to the baingans while sauteing them. garnish bagara baingan with coriander.
24. serve bagara baingan hot with rotis, phulkas, parathas, pooris or flavored rice.

Note : Those who like to have the recipe in red color,they may replace 50% of Tamarind juice with Tamato puree and replace turmeric with permitted artificial food color red 

Instead of Tamarind juice you may add sour curd in beaten form