Telangana Bagara Baingan Hyderabadi Brinjal Peanut

Small brinjal cooked in a thick, tangy sauce of roasted peanut, sesame and coconut with tamarind — the Hyderabadi brinjal preparation served alongside biryani at every major Hyderabadi feast. The roasted nut-coconut base gives it an entirely different character from North Indian brinjal preparations.

Ingredients

400 g small purple brinjal — quartered lengthwise keeping the stem intact
3 tbsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
10 curry leaves, 1/4 tsp asafoetida
For the ground paste:
2 tbsp peanuts — dry roasted
1 tbsp sesame seeds — dry roasted
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
2 to 3 dried red chilli — dry roasted
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp coriander seeds — dry roasted
tamarind — marble-sized, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp red chilli powder, salt, 1/2 tsp sugar

Method

Make the peanut-sesame paste: Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, dried red chilli and coriander seeds separately. Cool. Blend together with fresh coconut, garlic and salt to a smooth paste. Add 3 tbsp water. Grind 3 minutes until very smooth.
Extract tamarind water: Squeeze soaked tamarind and strain to get thick tamarind liquid.
Sauté the brinjal: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan. Add the quartered brinjal pieces. Fry on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until golden on the cut surfaces. Remove and keep aside.
Make the tempering: In the same pan heat 1 tbsp more oil. Add mustard seeds — pop. Add cumin seeds. Add curry leaves and asafoetida. Sizzle 15 seconds.
Add the paste: Add the ground peanut-sesame-coconut paste. Cook stirring continuously on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the paste darkens and the raw smell cooks out. The paste will sputter — keep stirring.
Add tamarind water: Add the strained tamarind water. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, salt and sugar. Stir well. Bring to a simmer.
Add the fried brinjal: Add the fried brinjal pieces. Stir gently to coat with the thick peanut-tamarind sauce.
Add water: Add 1/2 cup water. The sauce should be thick and coating — not watery.
Simmer covered: Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the brinjal is completely tender and has absorbed the peanut-tamarind sauce.
Serve: Serve hot alongside Hyderabadi biryani or with steamed rice.
Note: Bagara Baingan is the essential accompaniment to Hyderabadi biryani — the two are served together at virtually every Hyderabadi feast and the flavour combination of the fragrant biryani rice alongside the tangy, nutty brinjal is one of the most distinctive meal pairings of the Deccan. The roasted peanut-sesame-coconut paste base is specifically Hyderabadi and reflects the influence of the South Indian cooking tradition on the Deccan Plateau.