Begun Kasundi | Recipe with kasundi Bengali | Eggplant kasundi | Bengali veg recipe

Begun kasundi is a very refreshing niramish recipe and one of the beloved recipes for kasundi lovers. Many people, especially non-Bengalis, are not aware of the term ‘Kasundi’ which I have already mentioned more than couple of times.

What is Kasundi?

Kasundi is a Bengali mustard sauce prepared by fermenting the mustard seeds along with some spices, dried mangoes and olives. It is very strong in flavour and has a pungent taste.

Traditionally, kasudi is served with shaak-bhaat (Leafy Green mash and steamed rice) as a condiment. Now a days, kasundi is mostly served as a dip with snack items like pakodas, chop, cutlet etc. in restaurants and food stalls.

I remember how my dad used to get kasundi from market and initially my mom used to serve it with rice, dal and with shaak recipes like Bengali style Laal saag. But when the kasundi used to get older, she used to add it in cooking like macher jhol, sheem data chorchori etc.

I just love kasundi and its sharp flavour. In fact, after coming to the UK, whenever I get chance to go to any Indian or Bangladeshi shop, I always grab a bottle of Kasundi for myself. I have experimented many recipes with this magical sauce and Begun kasundi is one of them.

Begun kasundi is an effortless recipe and gets prepared very easily. It requires very limited and easily available ingredients to prepare this palatable dish. In old days, it was a shortcut recipe where women didn’t need to paste the mustard seeds using Shil-Nora, I mean Bengali mortar pestle.

My husband loves eggplant and whenever I prepare Begun kasundi, he always feels nostalgic. It is quite common among Bengalis staying outside India to always feel great when they get their regional food. Begun kasundi is one of my favourite dishes which I have prepared multiple times for family get together and it never disappointed me.

Begun kasundi with step by step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share few interesting facts about the recipe and it’s another key ingredient.

Health benefits of Eggplant

How to cook Begun kasundi?

For the Brinjal curry, first I have marinated the eggplant chunks with Salt, Turmeric powder and all-purpose flour for some time and then shallow fried the fatty slices. Eggplants are just like sponge. They can soak plenty of oil. So, it’s always better to shallow fry them rather than deep frying. It makes the dish much healthier without impacting the taste.

For the masala paste, I have made a paste of Onions and another paste of tomatoes separately.

First, I have tempered the whole spices and allowed them to crackle. I have used nigella seeds and dry red chillies for tempering. Then I have added the onion paste and cook it till it releases oil. After this, I have added ginger-garlic paste and cooked it until the raw smell disappears. Then I have added salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and cook it for some time.

After this, I have added the tomato paste, green chillies and cook it till oil releases. Then I have added the ground spices into the curry.

To flavour up the niramish recipe with brinjal, I have used very limited spices because kasundi itself has a strong flavour. I have used Cumin powder and Coriander powder for the dish.

Then I have added the kasundi and mixed with the masala nicely. Then I have added water for the gravy of the recipe and allowed it to simmer before adding the fried eggplant pieces.

After adding the eggplants, I have cooked them in the gravy for some time until they got tender and then switched off the flame.

Bengalis like little bit of sweetness in their curry. So, I have added some sugar into it. If you don’t like, then you can skip it.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Eggplants, washed and thick sliced
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose Flour

• 1/3 cup Kasundi
• 1 large Onion
• 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced
• ½ tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
• 2 green Chillies
• ½ teaspoon Nigella seeds
• 2 dried red Chillies
• ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon Chilli powder
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• ¾ cup Water, for gravy

1. Put the eggplant pieces in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle salt, sugar, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and all-purpose flour on the eggplant pieces. Mix the ingredients properly and coat the pieces evenly.
3. Marinate the eggplant pieces for 10 minutes. Cover the bowl and keep it aside.
4. On the other hand, add Onion chunks into a jar of a grinder or blender. Grind it for a minute and make a smooth paste. Add some water, if required. Keep the onion paste aside.
5. Add tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder and grind it to a smooth paste.
6. Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add oil into the pan.
7. Once the oil is hot, add eggplant pieces (Step 3) into the pan. Fry them in medium low flame for 3 minutes and then turn the other side. Fry them in low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Transfer the eggplant pieces on a plate lined with kitchen tissue. The kitchen tissue will absorb the excess oil.
9. Add some more oil in the pan, if required and put the flame in high till the oil is hot.
10. Add nigella seeds, dry red chillies into the pan and let them crackle.
11. Put the flame in low and add the onion paste (Step 4) into the pan.
12. Give a quick mix and cover the pan for 2 minutes. The masala may splatter initially.
13. Take off the lid and cook the masala paste in medium high flame and stir frequently.
14. Cook the masala paste till it starts releasing oil.
15. Add ginger-garlic paste into the pan and give a mix. Cook it in low flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
16. Add turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder and give a nice mix.
17. Cook the masala for a minute in medium flame. Stir in between.
18. Add tomato paste (Step 5) and mix it nicely.
19. Add green chillies into the pan and mix it.
20. Cook the masala in medium flame for another 2-3 minutes until it starts releasing oil.
21. Add cumin powder, coriander powder and mix it properly.
22. Cover the pan and cook it in lowest flame for a minute.
23. Add kasundi into the pan and mix it nicely.
24. Cook it in low flame for 1-2 minute.
25. Add water and give a nice stir.
26. Add sugar and mix it nicely.
27. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy simmers.
28. Put the flame in low and add the shallow fried eggplant pieces (Step 11) into the gravy.
29. Give a gentle stir and put on the lid of the pan.
30. Cook them for 3-4 minutes until the eggplant gets tender.
31. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.

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