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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Dal & Curries » Veg Curries » Begun Bhaja

    Published: Jun 17, 2020 | Last Updated On: Sep 28, 2020 by Neha Mathur

    Begun Bhaja

    4498 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Bengali Begun Bhaja or Baingan Bhaja is a dish prepared out of thick slices of the eggplant marinated in spices and coated with rice flour and deep-fried. It goes perfectly with rice and dal and even phulka.

    Here are some more Baingan Recipes, that you can prepare for your everyday meals – Baingan Methi, Aloo Baingan, Easy Punjabi Baingan Bharta, Kalonji Baingan, Masaledar Bharwa Baingan, and Kashmiri Dahi Baingan.

    Begun Bhaja served in a plate.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Step by Step Recipe
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    Bhaja in Bengali is thick slices of vegetables coated with a gram flour batter and deep-fried until crisp. It is a fav Indian (Bengali) tea time snack and can be made using a variety of vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, onion, eggplant, etc.

    Here, we are making this Bhaja recipe using Baingan or Eggplants, which is popularly called as Bengali Begun Bhaja.

    It is a dish prepared out of thick slices of the eggplant marinated in spices like turmeric and chilli powder, coated with rice flour and shallow fried.

    Its crispy texture makes it a perfect evening snack or it can even be served with Roti or Dal Chawal for dinner.

    Use the large purple variety of eggplant with fewer seeds to make this dish.

    Use of mustard oil to fry Baingan ka Bhaja gives it an authentic taste, however, you can fry it in vegetable oil too.

    There is another version of this bhaja in Bengali cuisine and it’s called Neem Pata Begun Bhaja. It’s like a stir fry of eggplant with tender Neem leaves added to it.

    When the slices of vegetables are cut into long pieces instead of roundels, it’s called lomba bhaja in Bengali.

    This dish is,

    • Easy to make
    • Crispy
    • Perfect for your everyday meals
    • Great for your evening snacks

    Ingredients

    Begun Bhaja Ingredients.

    Baingan/Eggplants – This Begun Bhaja is prepared with a large variety of purple baingans, as they have few seeds inside it. It is sliced into thick pieces and marinated in the masala before stir-frying.

    Rice Flour – Rice Flour gives a perfect crispy texture on the top.

    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, then you can use vegetable oil too.

    Spices – To add spice and taste to the Baingan Slices more, we will use spices such as turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt.

    You can even add Amchur Powder/ Dry Mango Powder to add some tanginess in the rice flour mixture.

    Sugar – A little sugar is added to add that slight hint of sweetness that complements the spice really well.

    Step by Step Recipe

    Wash the eggplant and wipe it dry with a kitchen towel. Cut into 2 cm thick slices.

    Eggplant cut into thick roundels.

    Mix turmeric powder, red chilli powder, rice flour, sugar and salt in a plate.

    Turmeric powder, red chilli powder, rice flour, sugar and salt mixed in a bowl.
    Coating mixture ready.

    Apply this mixture all over the eggplant slices.

    Eggplant roundels coated with the rice flour mixture.

    Heat mustard oil for shallow frying in a pan.

    Mustard oil heating in a pan.

    Shallow fry in hot oil on high heat until golden brown from both the sides.

    Eggplant slices frying in oil.

    Serve immediately.

    Ready begun bhaja.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can we use Long Thin variety of Brinjal?

    Traditionally, it is prepared using the big variety of purple eggplants, which are sliced in rounds.

    But if you are using the long thin variety of brinjal, slice it from between, take out little seeds and then mix it with spiced rice flour mixture. Pan fry on the pan and serve.

    Can we make it ahead of time?

    I will not suggest you make it ahead of time. Baingan is one of those vegetables that doesn’t taste great if kept for longer. Also, these Begun Bhaja will become soggy and oily.

    As they are super easy to make, prepare it fresh, and serve hot.

    Serving Suggestions

    Begun Bhaja and Khichuri is a perfect combination and is loved by all Bengalis.

    You can also serve it with Dal Rice and even with Luchi. Not only with Bengali Meals, but you can also serve it with your everyday North Indian meals too. They even taste great with Phulka or Tawa Paratha.

    They are also a perfect snack to serve along with your evening tea and enjoy it whenever the hunger strikes.

    You might also like

    • Kosha Mangsho (Bengali Style Mutton Curry)
    • Basanti Pulao
    • Bengali Chaler Payesh
    • Jhal Muri

    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Bengali Begun Bhaja or Baingan Bhaja is a dish prepared out of thick slices of the eggplant marinated in spices and coated with rice flour and deep-fried. It goes perfectly with rice and dal and even phulka.

    Begun Bhaja Recipe

    Begun Bhaja is a Bengali dish prepared out of thick slices of the eggplant marinated in spices and fried until crisp.
    4.5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 68kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 1 Eggplant / Baingan (Large one)
    • ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Sugar
    • Salt to taste
    • ¼ cup Rice Flour
    • Mustard Oil for frying
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    Instructions

    • Wash the eggplant and wipe it dry with a kitchen towel.
    • Cut into 1 cm thick slices.
    • Mix turmeric powder, red chilli powder, sugar, salt and rice powder in a plate.
    • Apply this mixture all over the eggplant slices.
    • Heat mustard oil in a pan.
    • Shallow fry in hot oil on high heat until golden brown from both the sides.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Use the large variety of brinjal that we use to make Baingan Bharta.
    Take a brinjal that has less seeds and is fresh. female brinjals have more seeds than male ones. You can check male and female brinjals by looking at the indentations at the bottom. Female have long indentation while the male have round 🙂
    Cut the brinjal into same size slices. It will make sure the slices are cooked evenly. Also the slices to make began bhaja should be thick, approx 2 cm each.
    You can cut long slices insted of round and then it’s called Lomba Begun Bhaja.
    You can choose to skip coating the brinjal in rice flour and just fry directly. Or add maida or all purpose flour instead.
    Adding a teaspoon of sugar along with the spices gives a nice caramelised texture to the brinjal after frying. 
    Fry the brinjal in mustard oil to get the authentic flavour.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 275mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.5mg
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    Comments

    1. Shonakhi

      May 08, 2021 at 5:31 pm

      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. 🙂

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        May 10, 2021 at 12:54 pm

        Sure. Thanks

        Reply

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