Indian · Punjab · side

Baingan Bharta (Fire-Roasted Aubergine)

Baingan Bharta (Fire-Roasted Aubergine) reads richness 4.8, allium 4.5 and heat 3.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Punjab side, about 59 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 3.9 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 3.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.7 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 4.8 · Allium 4.5 · Heat 3.9 · Salinity 3.6 · Warm Spice 3.1 · Sweetness 3.1 · Nutty 2.9 · Earthy 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Umami 2.5 · Fruity 2.0 · Sourness 2.0 · Bitterness 1.4 · Floral 1.3 · Citrus 1.1

What's in it (14)

• eggplant — 200 g
• mustard oil — 14 g
• ghee — 41 g
• cumin seeds — 5 g
• onions — 300 g
• garlic — 18 g
• fresh ginger — 5 g
• green chilies — 300 g
• tomatoes — 350 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• chilli powder — 5 g
• salt — 7 g
• garam masala — 3 g
• coriander — 11 g

Time & effort: about 59 min (58 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 71.4 kcal, 1.1 g protein, 4.9 g fat, 6.8 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Rub the aubergines with the mustard oil and set them directly on a live flame, turning every few minutes, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skin is blackened and blistered all over and the fruit has collapsed. The smoke is the dish; an oven-roasted aubergine makes a perfectly nice mash that is not bharta.
2. Let them cool 10 minutes, peel away the charred skin and chop the flesh coarsely, keeping any juices.
3. Heat the ghee in a wide pan, add the cumin and let it crackle for 25 seconds.
4. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies and fry 10 minutes until the onions are golden at the edges.
5. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and salt and cook 8 minutes until the tomatoes fall apart and the ghee comes clear.
6. Fold in the chopped aubergine and cook 10 minutes on medium, mashing gently with the back of the spoon, until the mixture is thick and no longer watery.
7. Finish with the garam masala and the coriander and serve with roti.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Rajma (Red Kidney Beans in Onion and Tomato) — Indian · Punjab
• Crispy Potato-Paneer Dumplings in Cashew-Tomato Cream Sauce — Indian
• Run Down (Rundown) — Jamaican
• Masala Dosa — Indian
• Cabbage Thoran — Indian · Kerala

Keep reading: what richness, allium, heat mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.