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We don’t blame you if you also start thinking of the scrumptious Hyderabadi Biryani each time someone mentions Hyderabad, we are pretty obsessed with the rice dish ourselves. Hyderabad is a city steeped in culture, history and art. It is a city suspended in time, and also a city raring to go. The joint capital of both Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, Hyderabad invites flocks of tourists every day, but how many of them leave without trying the city’s famed Dum Biryani? However, if you do have time, it is highly recommended that you give other Hyderabadi specialties a try as well. The cuisine has enough to appeal to all palates; and contrary to popular opinion, there is so much for vegetarians to relish too. For instance, the Baghara Baigan.
Also known as Baghara Baigan colloquially, the delicacy celebrates a veggie that evokes a mixed set of reactions from people all across the world. Call it eggplants, brinjal, or aubergines, they are either loved or grossly misunderstood. For the longest time, my mother made me believe, that a ‘bharta’, was the best we could get of the vegetable. Don’t get me wrong, she really makes delicious bharta but when I tried the Baghare Baigan, my worldview about the vegetable changed completely.
What Makes Baghara Baingan So Special
Baghar means tempering or tadka, this delish eggplant gravy is finished off with the tempering of oil, curry, leaves and sometimes cumin. The real charmer here has to be the gravy in itself, from the smokiness of roasted onion, to the creaminess of dried coconut, to the tanginess of tamarind, this gravy encapsulates everything with such nuance. Further adding to the richness of the gravy is the nuttiness of sesame seeds and peanuts. It is one of the most soothing yet lively gravy you can toss your eggplants in.
The eggplants here are not chopped or smashed. As we said, it is the hero here, and it is sure treated as one. Two deep cuts from the base, one horizontally, one vertically, and then you grab hold of the eggplant from the stem and splash it into the masala. It is up to you whether you want to fry the baingan beforehand or cook it in the gravy itself.
The Royal Link
Did you know Baghare Baingan also found a spot on an Indian postal stamp in 2017? The dish would be prepared and served in Nizami courts, but people also credit Mughals for the dish’s popularity, who may have brought it over to India via the Central-eastern route.
Baghare Baingan is sometimes also consumed as a side dish to Hyderabadi biryani. If you are salivating already, here’s a recipe you should try, right away.
