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Rinse the baingan (eggplant or aubergine) in water. Pat dry with a kitchen napkin. Apply some oil all over and
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keep it for roasting on an open flame. You can also grill the baingan or roast in the oven. But then you won't get
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the smoky flavor of the baingan. Keep the eggplant turning after a 2 to 3 minutes on the flame, so that its evenly
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cooked. You could also embed some garlic cloves in the baingan and then roast it.
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2. Roast the aubergine till its completely cooked and tender. With a knife check the doneness. The knife should slid
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easily in aubergines without any resistance. Remove the baingan and immerse in a bowl of water till it cools
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3. You can also do the dhungar technique of infusing charcoal smoky flavor in the baingan. This is an optional step.
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Use natural charcoal for this method. Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes smoking hot and red.
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4. Make small cuts on the baingan with a knife. Place the red hot charcoal in the same plate where the roasted
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aubergine is kept. Add a few drops of oil on the charcoal. The charcoal would begin to smoke.
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5. As soon as smoke begins to release from the charcoal, cover the entire plate tightly with a large bowl. Allow the
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charcoal smoke to get infused for 1 to 2 minutes. The more you do, the more smoky the baingan bharta will
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become. I just keep for a minute. Alternatively, you can also do this dhungar method once the baingan bharta is
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cooked, just like the way we do for Dal Tadka.
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6. Peel the skin from the roasted and smoked eggplant.
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7. Chop the cooked eggplant finely or you can even mash it.
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8. In a kadai or pan, heat oil. Then add finely chopped onions and garlic.
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9. Saute the onions till translucent. Don't brown them.
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10. Add chopped green chilies and saute for a minute.
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11. Add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well.
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12. Bhuno (saute) the tomatoes till the oil starts separating from the mixture.
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13. Now add the red chili powder. Stir and mix well.
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14. Add the chopped cooked baingan.
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15. Stir and mix the chopped baingan very well with the oniontomato masala mixture.
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16. Season with salt. Stir and saute for some more 4 to 5 minutes more.
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17. Finally stir in the coriander leaves with the baingan bharta or garnish it with them. Serve Baingan Bharta with
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phulkas, rotis or chapatis. It goes well even with bread, toasted or grilled bread and plain rice or jeera rice.