Bagara Baingan | Eggplant in Coconut Peanut Gravy | Vegan | Gluten Free

This is an authentic Andhra Cuisine, where the roasted eggplant is cooked in peanut coconut gravy. I just tried this for dinner and had it along with roti and it was delicious. I read that this goes well with biriyani but am yet to try that! Actually the original recipe called for deep frying the brinjal in oil but I did not want to do that so I roasted them in oven instead and it tasted just the same.

Serves 2 - 3
Ingredients Required:
Baby Brinjal - 8 - 10
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger - 1tsp
Garlic - 5 cloves
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Tamrind - gooseberry size
Coconut dry/fresh - 3 tblspn
Oil

To dry roast and grind:
Peanuts - 4 tblspn
Sesame - 2 tblspn

How to make?
Slit the brinjal into a plus sign at the bottom, keeping the stem on.
Spray coat with oil and roast in the oven at 350 F for 30 minutes.
Dry roast the sesame and the peanuts. Grind along with coconut and water into a coarse paste.
Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. Allow to splutter.
Add the bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon. Fry for few seconds.
Add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Saute till golden brown.
Add all the masala powders and 1/2 cup water. Mix well.
Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add the ground paste and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
If required close the pan, as the gravy splutters out.
Add the tamrind extract and salt.
To this, add the roasted brinjals and mix gently.
Close the pan and cook for 1 hour so the gravy cooks and the flavor blends in.
Stir in between so the gravy does not get burnt.
If the gravy is still watery, cook with the pan half open for few minutes so the excess water gets absorbed. If the gravy is too thick then you can add more water to your required consistency.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot!


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