Ohloh / Baigan Bharta
Until very recently, I didn't realize ohloh (spelling?) was similar to baigan bharta- and I'm still not sure what the difference is between the two. Anyhow, some of my friends came over for dinner today. One of them really likes baigan bharta, so I decided to make this. Variation- since it's summer and sometimes I'm not in the mood for hot dishes, I like to mix a little bit of yogurt into it once it cools (you may need to adjust the salt). Tip- you can do Step 1 the day before to save time. Also, you can bake it while you're baking something else in the oven, even if the temperature is lower (you may need to cook it a little longer). I made a cake for dessert today, so instead of baking it at 400 F for 30 mins, I baked it at 350 F for 45 mins.
Ingredients
1 big purple eggplant
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapenos or spicy green chillies, chopped fine
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
2 tomatoes, chopped into ~1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tsp ground coriander-cumin powder
cilantro, chopped fine
Directions
1. Using a fork, poke holes in the eggplant. Wrap the eggplant in foil. Bake at 400F for 30 mins. (Optional: For a smoky flavor, remove the foil and broil the eggplant for 4 mins. Turn the eggplant a quarter, and broil for 4 mins again. Repeat until all 4 sides are broiled.) Let the eggplant cool enough to touch. Peel off the skin and cut the portion attached to the stem off- discard the skin and stem. Slightly mash the inside and save it to use in Step 3.
2. Fry the cumin seeds in the oil on med-high heat until they start to turn brown (<1 min). Add the onions, garlic, and jalpenos. Cook for ~7 mins, until the garlic turns light brown.
3. Add the eggplant, salt, turmeric powder. Cook for ~10 mins (until the liquid goes away).
4. Add the tomatoes, ginger, and coriander-cumin powder. Cook for ~5 mins (until the tomatoes shrink).
5. Remove from heat and add the chopped cilantro leaves. Serve hot.