Bagara Baingan - Hyderabad Isshhtyle

Bagara Baingan is this amazing dish that will turn you into an eggplant lover. This is a very typical hyderabadi dish often served with Biryani or just plan white rice. With a rich gravy made of peanuts and sesame seeds, it gets tastier the day after it is made. So here goes -

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup peanuts
2. 1/4th cup sesame seeds
3. 2 spoons poppy seeds
4. 3-4 cloves
5. 1/2 inch long piece of cinnamon (This is optional and won't make much difference)
6. 2 inch piece of ginger
7. 2-3 garlic pods
8. half cup fresh grated or frozen coconut
9. 1 spoon chilli powder
10. 2 pinches of turmeric
11. 10-12 small eggplants
12. a small ball of tamarind soaked and pulped
13. mustard and jeera seeds for the tadka
14. 4-5 long green chillies
15. 5-6 curry leaves
16. 2 large onions - finely chopped
17. salt to taste
18. corriander
19. vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
    

Directions:

1. Roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cloves and cinnamon separately.
2. Grind them along with the coconut, chilli powder, haldi, salt, ginger and garlic to a fine paste
3. Cut slits in the eggplants, making a cross on the top. Stuff them with the paste. Make sure you have 2-3 tablespoons of paste left over after stuffing
4. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, jeera, green chillies (cut lengthwise), curry leaves. Once the mustard seeds start sputtering, add onions and saute until golden brown
5. Add the stuffed eggplants and saute until the skin of the eggplants changes color a little
6. Add the remaining paste, a little water, the tamarind pulp and mix well
7. Cook for 20-25mins with the lid covered until you no longer can smell/taste raw peanuts, the eggplants are cooked thoroughly and the you have a good consistency gravy.
8. Top off with chopped corriander and enjoy!!!