Baingan Bharta (Fire roasted mashed eggplant)

My boys do not like eggplant, but I love it. Usually I cook recipes which take me 30-40 minutes from start to finish, lesser the better.... but, this is my favorite and I was craving for it and I thought I will take the effort to cook it for my blog. Also, it is a very messy affair to roast it on open fire and clean it. That's why I usually avoid to make it. This is my mom and my sister's recipe. They cooked it for me, when I went back to India last month. It is beautifully creamy and that fire roasted flavor is wonderful.

 I ate the leftovers as a spread on a toast, topped with Haldiram's Alu-Bhujia.... :)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized eggplant( Here is a link to different kind of eggplants. I used the one which looks like the American eggplant in the list)
  
• 1 small red onion
• 2 small tomatoes
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• 1 green chili
• 1-2 tsp sesame oil(or any other oil like canola/olive)
• 1 tsp each of coriander and cumin powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Maharastrian Goda masala(or garam masala)
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk(1 used 2 tbsp of coconut cream)
• salt to taste
• a bunch of coriander leaves to garnish

Recipe:

• Brush the eggplant with oil and put it on direct fire of the gas stove. 

• Keep on turning the eggplant till it is evenly roasted.
• Once all the sides are blistered and the insides start getting mushy, the eggplant will give a nice aroma. 

• Carefully, with the help of tongs, transfer the eggplant to a bowl. Keep it to cool.
• Then remove the skin.
• I was in a hurry to cook it, so I put it under running water in a colander and removed the skin.

• Mash the eggplant with a fork or even your hand. Keep it aside.

• Chop the onion, tomato and chili. Grate ginger.Wash and chop the coriander.

• Now, heat some oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, ginger and chili.Saute for about 40 secs.

• Add onion. Saute for a minute or two.

• Add tomato and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.

• Add the mashed eggplant and continue cooking for about 4-5 minutes till everything is mixed well.

• You can mash everything together with a potato masher. I used my cooking spoon.

• Add the goda masala(or the garam masala) and season with salt.

• Turn off the heat and add about 1/2 a cup of coconut milk and whisk it into the eggplant. 

• Garnish with coriander leaves.

• Serve hot with chapatis, etc
• You can use it as a dip for tortilla or pita chips too.

Quantity:

• 4-5 servings with other accompaniments

Notes:

• Roasting the eggplant on fire of the gas stove is really a messy affair. You can bake the eggplant in an oven. Oil the eggplant. Put it in a deep baking dish covered with foil for about 40 minutes or so in a preheated oven at 180 degrees.
• You can add more coconut milk or cream to get richer flavor.
• Add more chilies or chili powder to make it spicier.