Begun Bhaja (Baingan Bhaja)
Begun Bhaja (Bengali-style fried Eggplant) consists of thick slices of eggplant coated with a spice mix and fried in mustard oil until crisp. For a hearty meal, serve it with dal rice or luchi.
If you are an eggplant fan, then here are some more easy Indian eggplant recipes that you can prepare for your everyday meals: Baingan Methi, and Kalonji Baingan.
My encounter with Bengali food is nothing new. One of my Mami is a Bengali and whenever we visited her, she made Bengali specialities for us. This begun bhaja was almost always made along with other delicacies.
Once I started to cook and learn more about different cuisines, I came to know that there are multiple ways in which people make begun bhaja. Some add a little rice flour to the coating mixture while some don’t. Some people make a thin batter of chickpea flour and coat the brinjal slices in this mixture before frying them. I am very sure all the versions taste great but in this post, I am sharing the recipe I learned from my Mami.
About Begun Bhaja
Begun Bhaja (Bengali-Style Fried Eggplant) is a traditional Bengali dish made by coating thick slices of eggplant in a spicy mixture and shallow-frying them in hot mustard oil until crisp.
Begun Bhaja and Khichuri are a perfect combination and are loved by all Bengalis. You can also serve it as a side dish with Dal Rice, Aloo Bhaja, Fish Curry, and Luchi.
Its crispy texture also makes it a perfect evening snack.
Ingredients
Baingan (Eggplants) – Baingan Bhaja is prepared using the large purple variety of baingan, also called Bharta Baingan in Hindi.
Try to choose a male eggplant with fewer seeds and less bitter. You can check male and female brinjals by looking at the indentations at the bottom. Females have long indentations, while males have round.
Rice Flour gives a perfect crispy texture to the bhaja. You can replace rice flour with chickpea flour (besan), all-purpose flour (maida), white poppy seeds (khus khus), or fine semolina (sooji).
Some people do not use flour in their recipe and you can try this version too.
Mustard Oil – For the authentic traditional Bengali flavor, use only mustard oil to make this dish. But if you do not prefer the strong flavor of mustard oil, you can use any cooking oil you choose.
Spices – You will need basic spices such as turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt.
Sugar – A little sugar is added to balance the flavors.
You can also add a little amchur powder (dry mango powder) or chaat masala powder to the rice flour mixture to give it some tang.
Some people add garam masala powder, Roasted Cumin Powder, and coriander powder to their spice mix.
How To Make Baingan Bhaja
Wash a large eggplant and wipe it dry with a kitchen towel. Discard 1 inch of the top green stalk and cut the eggplant into 2 cm thick slices.
Note – Keep the brinjal slices soaked in water until ready to use; otherwise, they will turn black from oxidation. The best thing to do is to cut the eggplant just before you are ready to cook it.
Wipe the slices dry with a kitchen towel if they are soaked in water to remove any excess water.
Mix the following ingredients on a shallow plate.
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ cup rice flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Press the baingan slices in the rice flour mixture to coat them well from both sides.
Heat 2-3 tablespoon of mustard oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, arrange the eggplant slices on the pan in a single layer and shallow fry for 2-3 minutes until golden brown from the bottom.
Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.
Transfer the fried baingan to a plate lined with paper tissues to remove the extra oil. Serve hot.
Fry the remaining slices in the same manner.
Pro Tips By Neha
Cut the brinjal into slices of the same thickness. This will ensure that the slices are cooked evenly. Also, the slices to make the beginning bhaja should be thick, approximately 2 cm each. If you cut them too thin, they will become mushy.
You can cut long slices instead of round ones, and then it’s called Lomba Begun Bhaja.
You can skip coating the brinjal in rice flour and coat it with only spice powders. This version will be a little oily, though.
Adding a teaspoon of sugar to the spice mixture gives a nice caramelized texture to the brinjal after frying.
Fry the brinjal in mustard oil to get a unique taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditionally, baingan bhaja is prepared using the round, large variety of eggplant (Bharta Baingan), but you can also use the long, thin variety.
Just slice it in half vertically, coat it with the spiced rice flour mixture, and fry.
I will not suggest you make it ahead of time. Begun Bhaja will become soggy if kept for more than 30 minutes.
Yes, you can.
Arrange the spice coated brinjal slices on a baking tray in a single layer. Bake at 190°C (380°F) on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15 minutes or until brown and crispy.
Arrange the spiced brinjal slices in a single layer on the air fryer basket. Air fry at 190°C (380°F) for 15 minutes, then flip and air fry for another 10 minutes or until the eggplants are crisp and tender.
If the eggplant is bitter, soak it in water with 2 teaspoon of salt. Then rinse and use in the recipe. Soaking the brinjal in salted water reduces the bitterness.
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Begun Bhaja Recipe (Baingan Bhaja)
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (baingan)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ cup rice flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- mustard oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Wash the eggplant and wipe it dry with a kitchen towel. Discard 1 inch of the top and cut it into 2 cm thick slices.
- Note – Keep the slices soaked in water until ready to use otherwise they will turn black from oxidation. The best is to cut the eggplant just before you are ready to cook it.
- Wipe the slices dry with paper towels if they were soaked in water to remove any excess water.
- Mix turmeric powder, chili powder, rice flour, sugar, and salt on a shallow plate.
- Press the baingan slices in the rice flour mixture to coat them well from both sides.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoon of mustard oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, arrange the eggplant slices on the pan in a single layer and shallow fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side as well.
- Transfer the fried baingan to a plate lined with kitchen tissue to get rid of the excess oil and serve!
- Fry the remaining slices in the same manner.
Hey! Hope you are doing well.
Do try Begun Bhaaja with the marination of only salt and turmeric. Simple and A perfect Comfort Side dish for Lunch which goes pretty well with Dal Bhaat. 🙂
Sure. Thanks