Baingan Bartha (South Indian Eggplant with Coconut and Chili)
Photo: Mike130012, CC BY-SA 4.0
Baingan bartha is an eggplant dish loved across India, and this southern version swaps the northern tomato-and-onion approach for fresh coconut, green chilli and coriander. The eggplant is charred right on the gas burner until the skin turns brittle, which gives the soft flesh a smoky edge. Adjust the chillies from two to six to suit your heat tolerance, and stir in yoghurt or paneer for a creamier finish.
Instructions
Set the whole eggplant directly over a low gas flame, or on the burner itself. Turn it regularly for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the skin is blackened and brittle and the flesh has gone soft.
Leave the eggplant to cool while you make the paste.
Put the green chillies, ground coconut and coriander leaves in a food processor and grind them together into a paste.
Peel the charred skin off the cooled eggplant. Mash the flesh by hand until it forms a uniform pulp.
Stir the coconut paste into the pulp, adding the paneer or yoghurt if you are using it. Season with salt to taste.
Serve with chapatis, dosa or rice.
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