Dahi Baingan | Indian Curry Recipes

As a Bong, I always had the Bengali Doi Begun since childhood, but this preparation is completely different from that. I had it for first time in a get together of one of my North Indian colleague’s houses. I just loved the preparation.

So, I decided to prepare this Baingan recipe at home. When I cooked the dish for the very first time, my family loved it very much and appreciated my cooking skills. Now, it is prepared very often in our house and specially during the vegetarian days.

Indian curry recipes are always renowned for its rich flavour of spices. In most of the other cuisines, it is believed that too much players can spoil the game. But for Indian curries, the story is completely different. Indians are masters in cleverly using spices for perfect flavours. Dahi Baingan is a superb example of this.

Dahi Baingan with step by step photos and instructions has been provided in the “Instructions” section. But before jumping into the recipe, I would like to share few interesting facts about this vegetable and recipe.

Dahi Baingan is a hugely popular recipes for eggplant curry throughout India and is prepared in different varieties in different states of the country. Kashmiri Dahi Baingan, odia Dahi Baingan, Bengali Doi Begun are the few popular variations of the iconic curry.

Reason behind the popularity of Dahi Baingan

From ages, Aubergine recipes play a vital role in Vegetarian food world. Thousands of dishes of different world cuisines are prepared with this fleshy purple vegetable. It is one of the most versatile vegetables that I have ever seen. It can be grilled, roasted, boiled, baked and even fried to prepare salivating recipes.

Aubergines are called by many names in different parts of the World. In the UK, it is known as Aubergine. In the US, it is known as Eggplants and in few other parts it is known as Brinjals.

Health benefits of Eggplant or Aubergine

How to cook Dahi Baingan?

For the Brinjal curry, first I have marinated the Aubergine slices with Salt, Turmeric powder and all-purpose flour for some time and then shallow fried the fatty slices. Aubergines 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, Ginger and Garlic. On the other hand, I have whipped the Yogurt and kept it aside.

I have used ground roasted Peanuts too into the dish. It gives a nice nutty flavour to the gravy which goes great with the taste of yogurt sauce. I have used ready-made peeled roasted peanuts here and put them in the small mixing jar to grind them. I have ground them until there are any remaining grains.

To flavour up the Eggplant Curry recipe, I have used freshly chopped Cilantro herbs, Cumin powder, Coriander powder and Garam Masala powder. I have used limited amount of ground spices to the dish. I have used whole spices like Bay leaves, Cumin seeds, Cloves and Cinnamon stick too for the tempering of the curry.

After cooking the masala paste with Yogurt for some time, I have added water to prepare the gravy for the dish. The shallow fried Brinjals are cooked in this luscious gravy. The consistency of the gravy for the dish is neither very thick nor very thin.

I have used sugar into the gravy. It cuts the sourness of Yogurt and enhances the taste of the gravy.

Ingredients:

• 2 large Aubergine, washed and thick sliced
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour

• ½ cup Yogurt, whipped
• 3 Onions, diced
• 1 ½ inch Ginger, diced
• 3 large cloves of Garlic, peeled
• 2 green Chillies
• 3-4 tablespoon Cilantros, chopped
• 1 small Bay leaf
• 3 Cloves
• 1 ½ inch Cinnamon stick, broken
• ½ teaspoon whole Cumin seeds
• ¼ cup Ground Roasted Peanut
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ¾ teaspoon Cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
• ¾ teaspoon Garam Masala powder
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• Oil for cooking
• 1 to 1½ Cups Water for gravy (Amount may vary as per desire consistency)

1. Put the Aubergine slices in a large plate.
   

2. Sprinkle Salt, Turmeric powder and all-purpose flour on the Aubergine slices.
   

3. Mix the ingredients properly and evenly coat the slices.
   

4. Marinate the Aubergine slices for 10 minutes.
5. On the other hand, add Onions, Ginger and Garlic cloves into the jar of a grinder or blender.
   

6. Grind them and make a smooth paste of them. Add some water, if required.
   

7. Add Oil into a large pan for shallow frying the marinated Aubergine slices.
   

8. Once the oil is hot, add Aubergine slices (Step 4) into the pan.
   

9. Fry them in medium low flame for 3 minutes and then turn the other side.
10. Fry them in low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
11. Transfer the Aubergine slices on a plate lined with kitchen tissue.
    

12. Add some more oil in the pan if required and put the flame in high till the oil is hot.
13. Add Bay leaves, Cumin seeds, Cloves and Cinnamon stick into the pan and let them crackle.
    

14. Put the flame in low and add the masala paste (Step 6) into the pan.
    

15. Give a quick mix and cover the pan for 2 minutes. The masala may splatter initially.
16. Then take off the lid and cook the masala paste in medium high flame and stir frequently.
17. Cook the masala paste till it starts releasing oil.
18. Add Turmeric powder, Salt, green Chillies and give a nice mix.
    

19. Cook the masala for a minute in medium flame and stir frequently.
20. Put the flame in low and add whipped Yogurt into the pan.
    

21. Give a quick mix and add ground roasted Peanuts into the pan. Mix all the ingredients nicely.
    
    

22. Add Cumin powder, Coriander powder and mix it properly.
    

23. Cover the pan and cook it in lowest flame for a minute.
24. Add water and give a nice stir.
    

25. Cover the pan and put the flame in high until the gravy simmers.
26. Sprinkle some Garam Masala powder, chopped Cilantros and mix them nicely.
    

27. Put the flame in low and add the shallow fried Aubergine slices (Step 11) into the gravy.
    

28. Give a gentle stir and put on the lid of the pan.
29. Cook them for 4-5 minutes until the Aubergine slices become tender.
30. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.