Achari Baingan (Eggplant With Pickle Spices)
Achari Baingan is an indian vegetarian dish of baby eggplants in aromatic, hot & tangy blend of tomatoes and pickle (achar) spices.
Ingredients
- 350 g eggplant I used baby eggplant
- 5 tablespoon mustard oil substitute with neutral cooking oil
- 1.5 teaspoon minced garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon hing asafoetida
- 200 g tomatoes chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon amchoor powder
- Green Chillies & Cilantro to taste
Achari Spices
- ¼ teaspoon nigella seeds kalonji
- ⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi dana
- ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds kali sarson
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds saunf
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds jeera
Ground Spices
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (hot), I use MDH degi mirch, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes adjust to taste
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
- Set oil to warm up on low medium heat in a kadai or cooking pot. Heat up mustard oil to slightly smoky to do away the raw smell.
- Wash and pat dry the baby eggplants. If the stems are green and dont have spikes, I leave them on (they have good flavor after cooking). You may trim the stems if you wish. Using a sharp knife, cut the eggplant into quarters. Tip 1 :- Begin cutting the eggplants only when you are about to cook. We dont want to soak the eggplants in water. We will cut and straight add them to oil. Tip 2 - If you are using a different variety of eggplant, cut off and discard the stems, they are hard and fibrous.
- Carefully, from one side of the kadai, slide the cut up eggplant into the oil. They will splutter so be careful. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of salt and saute the eggplants in oil for 3-4 minutes. Don't cook all the way through but sautéing like this gets the eggplants started. Tip :- You may deep fry the eggplants if you wish. That gives the sabji a very rich taste.
- Once the baingan appear a bit plump and the skins are brownish purple, using a spoon take them out in a plate.
- You should have leftover oil in the kadai, else add 2-3 tablespoon of oil and heat up.
- Reduce the heat to low and temper the oil with whole spices. Let them sizzle and crackle for 10 seconds taking care not to burn.
- Add the minced garlic, hing next and stir for 5-6 seconds. Dont let the garlic burn. Next add the ground spices along with ¼ cup water. Cook the spices for a minute or so.
- Add the chopped tomatoes along with salt. Mash the tomatoes slightly using back of the spoon. Cook for about a minute or two, don't dry out the tomatoes.
- When the tomatoes appear saucy, add the eggplants. Mix together and cover the kadai. Let cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes until eggplant is cooked through.Tip :- If you feel that the tomatoes and eggplant are not releasing much water, add ¼ or ⅓ cup water to help the cooking process .
- Finish with green chillies, cilantro and amchoor powder. Serve.
Notes
- Selecting Eggplants- Choose fresh and firm eggplants with smooth skins. One of the ways to select is to pick up and the baingan should not feel heavy (that means they don't too many seeds).
- Selecting Tomatoes - For this recipe, make sure that you are not using very sour tomatoes else the sabji will become quite tangy.
- Dont Skimp on Oil- Some vegetables like okra, eggplant etc need extra oil to cook properly and taste good. If you will use less oil, the achari flavor wont come through properly.
- Canned Tomatoes - You may use canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce instead of fresh tomatoes. Use low sodium or unsalted and adjust the salt accordingly.
- Make sure that you don't cook the sabji on low heat or high heat. Dont add water. We want the eggplants to cook in the saucy tomatoes masala and their own juices.
- Add Potatoes - If you want, you can add medium potato cut lengthwise or in a similar fashion as the eggplants. Saute the potatoes in oil with the eggplant and then finish cooking them in achari sauce. This way they cook in the same time.
Nutrition
Calories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 2gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 805mgPotassium: 510mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 987IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 2mg
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