Baingan Bhaja / Shallow Fried Eggplant - Bengali Cuisine

Baingan Bhaja or Begun Bhaja is a tasty appetizer made from Brinjal or Aubergine. A dish from Bengali cuisine in which Aubergine slices are marinated in spices and then pan / shallow fried to golden crispy on outside and remain soft from inside. This Brinjal fry goes well as a side dish with chapati or rice or can simply be had as a snacks.

Brinjal / Eggplant is my family favourite and i make variety of dishes with it like Baingan Bharta , Stuffed eggplant , and Brinjal Potato gravy. But my son never liked any of these dishes much, which made me try this dish from Bengali cuisine and to my surprise, he enjoyed it :) A very simple and fuss free , beginner or bachelor recipe to try out. Egg plant lovers will enjoy this for sure and even those who are not Brinjal fans can try out this side dish for a change !

Ingredients:

• 2-3 medium long eggplant
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander cumin powder (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Oil for shallow frying
• Suji / Idli rava as required

Method:

1. Select long purple variety of Brinjal having less seeds for this recipe. You may use a single big eggplant or 2-3 medium ones. Rinse the eggplant well in water and cut them into 1/2 inch thick slices. Immediately place the slices in a bowl with salt water. This step prevents the eggplant slices from browning and also helps in removing the butter juices.

  2.  Soak the slices in this salt water for 10-15 minutes. Remove and pat dry on a kitchen towel. Place the slices in a deep dish and sprinkle all the spices and salt all over them. Mix well and marinate for 7-10 minutes. 

   3.  Take Suji or Idli rava or rice flour on a plate and coat each slice with the flour from both the sides .

    4. Heat 2 tbsp oil on a non stick pan and shallow fry the slices until golden brown and crisp from both the sides. 

  5. Drain the slices on a absorbent paper and serve as a side dish or snacks with some salad or raita.

 For more dishes from Bengali Cuisine do check my posts on

• Sponge Rasgulla
• Mishti Doi