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Baigan bharta, also spelled baingan bharta or baigan chokha (mashed eggplant) is an Indian cuisine prepared by mashing or mincing grilled eggplant ( baigan) with tomato, onion, herbs and spices, with variations being common from chef to chef. Traditionally, cooking the eggplant over charcoal, inside of a tandoor, barbecue grill or oven, or even directly applying flame to the outside of the fruit infuses the dish with a smoky flavour; the blackened skin is then easily peeled and the eggplant may be further prepared.
Baigan bharta is most often grilled, minced eggplant stewed with chopped tomato, browned onion or shallots, ginger, garlic, and cumin, and topped with lime or lemon juice, fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) and sliced fresh green chili pepper. Depending on region and personal tastes, ghee (clarified butter) may be used in preparation of the dish. In some regions where mustard oil is popular, this may be used, though it possesses a powerful flavour and aroma. Most chefs use a neutral, high-smoking-point vegetable oil like canola or sunflower oil. Traditionally, the dish is eaten by hand with flatbread (specifically roti, naan or paratha), and can also be served with a variety of rice dishes, like biryani, khichdi or Pilaf. The meal will usually be rounded out with various pickles (such as mango, lime, and lemon) as well as raita, a palate-cooling yogurt dish/condiment (similar to Greek tzatziki) with many forms, including mint, mango or cucumber preparations. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, it is served hot with litti or baati.
In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, baigan bharta is part of the most popular cuisine items. In India, it is found in various regional styles, with ingredients varying from one region to another. Some chefs and recipes utilise seasonal mashed pumpkin, squash or sweet potato for added thickness and flavour. The dish has since spread to areas outside of India, particularly countries with high numbers of Indians and their descendants, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and parts of the United States and Canada. It is popularly eaten in the Caribbean, in places like Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, where it is known as baigan chokha.
In Karnataka, it is called eṇṇegāyi (ಎಣ್ಣೆಗಾಯಿ) and is prepared by boiling and frying a whole eggplant, and is usually served with akki rotti, while the gōjju (ಗೊಜ್ಜು) is just roasting and mashing the seasoned eggplant. In the state of Tamil Nadu, the Tamil people prepare a similar dish called kattirikāi tayir koṭsu (கத்திரிகாய் தயிர் கொட்சு), in which the eggplant is cooked, mashed, and sautéed with mustard, red chilis and sesame oil. The final step in the recipe involves adding yogurt (curds) to the mixture and dressing the dish with coriander leaves.
In the Bhojpuri-speaking regions of India (such as eastern Uttar Pradesh and western Bihar), it is known as Bhāṅṭā ke chokhā (भांटा के चोखा ); it is also popular within the Indo-Caribbeans communities of Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Guyana, where many descendants of indentured labourers from northern India live.
In Maharashtra, especially in the northern Khandesh region, vangyache bharit (वांग्याचें भरीत) as they call it is served in social gatherings including wedding ceremonies. During harvest season, a special " bharit party" is organised. Bharit is usually served with puri. In the Vidarbha and Khandesh regions of Maharashtra, two variants are popular: ("raw") and (with ) . In , all the ingredients except for eggplant are used uncooked. Raw spring onion, tomato, green chillies, green coriander, and sometimes fresh fenugreek leaves are mixed with flame-roasted eggplant along with raw linseed oil or peanut oil. In , the above ingredients are first fried in oil with spices; then, mashed eggplants are mixed into it and cooked together. A similar process is followed in other Indian states and Pakistan with slight variations in ingredients. In Vidarbha and Khandesh, it is considered a delicacy when the eggplants are roasted on dried cotton plant stems, a process which gives a distinct smokey flavour to the dish. The dish is served with dal, bhakri, and rice.
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