Name: Smoky Baingan Bharta
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: indian
Ingredients: 1 null eggplant (medium-sized, about 1 lb); 0.5 tbsp avocado oil (for brushing); 1.5 tbsp neutral oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 null red onion (finely diced); 4 clove garlic cloves (finely chopped); 1 inch ginger (grated); 1 null serrano chili pepper (finely chopped); 0.5 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1.5 tsp kosher salt; 2 null plum tomatoes (finely chopped); 0.5 tsp kashmiri chile powder; 1 tsp garam masala; 1 cup fresh cilantro (chopped); 1 slice vegan naan

Instructions

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1

Ventilate the kitchen. Brush the eggplant (1) with a light coating of avocado oil (0.5 tbsp). Heat a gas burner to medium-low.
2

Using tongs, hold the eggplant (1) vertically over the flame for 6 minutes to char the bottom, then flip and char the top for 3 minutes.
3

Place the eggplant (1) horizontally on its side directly over the flame. Gently rotate every 2 minutes for 15 to 20 minutes until deeply charred, wrinkly, and soft through the center.
4

Transfer the charred eggplant to a bowl and cover with a plate to steam for 5 minutes. Use your hands to peel off the skin, then mash the flesh until soft.
5

Heat neutral oil (1.5 tbsp) in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry cumin seeds (1 tsp) for 1 minute. Add onion (1 red) and a pinch of [kosher salt] and sauté for 5 minutes until soft.
6

Stir in cloves (4 garlic), ginger (1 inch), chili pepper (1 serrano), and ground turmeric (0.5 tsp). Cook for 1.5 minutes until very aromatic.
7

Add tomatoes (2 plum), kosher salt (1.25 tsp), and ground coriander (1 tsp). Cook for 5 minutes until tomatoes are soft and release oil.
8

Stir in the eggplant mash and kashmiri chile powder (0.5 tsp). Cook for 5 minutes, mashing to combine. Finish with garam masala (1 tsp) and fresh cilantro (1 cup). Serve warm with naan (1 vegan).