This Baingon Ar Tematoo Biran (Fried Aubergine and Tomato) was a dish I cooked one evening, not really expecting much from it other than to use up some aubergines I had lying around the house. I’m one of those shoppers who sees fresh fruits and vegetables and buys without much thought about how I’m going to use them and then end up rushing to cook them because they’re going to spoil. I always tell myself I shouldn’t impulse buy like this but end up doing it anyway, lol! These aubergines needed using up and I didn’t want a curry with lots of ‘shira’, ie. gravy, so I came up with this instead. Don’t ask me why I cooked it the way I did (because I don’t have an answer, lol), all I know is that the dish tasted and looked good, so I obviously had to share the recipe with you all, don’t ya just love it when that happens?!

I enjoy eating aubergines, more now as an adult than I used to as a child. Whilst my children aren’t overly fond of eating aubergines like this (they prefer it dipped in a flour batter and deep fried) I live in the hope that one day, like me, they’ll learn to enjoy this dish.

I remember once cooking with aubergine and found that the finished dish was very bitter, so bitter in fact that we really didn’t enjoy it and most of it ended up in the bin. Unless I’m making a Baingon Bazi (a dry aubergine dish where the aubergine is finely sliced and cooked with onion and a few spices) I don’t tend to salt my aubergines. Salting aubergines helps to draw out the excess moisture and with it any bitterness but I would only recommend you do this if your aubergines are mature and past their prime. The aubergine slices are cut fairly thick in this recipe and soaking in water alone won’t draw out all the bitterness. I have explained what to do in the steps below if you feel your aubergine is old/mature. However, if your aubergines are young and fresh there is no need to salt it prior to cooking, most aubergines are farmed in a way that reduces the bitterness nowadays anyway.

I pan fried the aubergine slices with some ground cumin before adding them to the masala because (I think) doing this adds more flavour than just adding in slices of uncooked aubergine. Much like how Bangladeshi people will fry chicken/fish pieces before adding them to the masala, which not only helps retain the texture of what they’re cooking, but adds a whole new dimension in terms of flavour to a dish. If you’re rushed for time I guess you could skip frying the aubergine slices altogether, although I’m convinced it won’t taste as nice…..honestly, I’m not not just saying that to make life difficult, lol!

I wouldn’t change much about this dish as it is very delicious as it is. The only thing I would suggest to add even more flavour is to temper some whole seeds before frying the onions. Adding half a teaspoon of mustard seeds or a pinch of fenugreek seeds and tempering in hot oil before adding the onion would add an additional depth of flavour to the dish that I know would make it even better! I know lots of you have been waiting for this recipe and are looking forward to trying it out, I really hope it delivers!

Serves 6 

You will need: for Baingon Ar Tematoo Biran (Fried Aubergine and Tomato)

2 globe variety aubergines
2 tomatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic
5 – 6 green chillies
oil (as needed)
water (as needed)
1.25 tsp salt (1/2 tsp for frying aubergine slices and 3/4 tsp for masala, adjust if necessary)
1.5 tsp cumin powder (1 tsp for frying aubergine slices and 1/2 tsp for masala)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp mixed curry powder
1 tsp coriander powder
fresh chopped coriander to garnish

Method:

Start by topping and tailing the aubergines.

Slice the aubergines into discs 1 cm wide, it’s important to keep them fairly thick to prevent them becoming mushy once cooked.

 

If you are not sure whether your aubergines are young or mature, you can usually tell this by looking at the widest slices of aubergine – if there aren’t many seeds (like in the top left hand image) the aubergine is young, if it has a lot of seeds then the aubergine is most likely quite mature and you may want to salt the aubergine slices prior to frying.

Lightly sprinkle salt over the slices and leave for 20 – 30 minutes to draw out the moisture and bitterness (this step has not been included in the photos as I didn’t do this). Once the moisture is drawn out, wipe excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel and carry on with the recipe.

However, if your aubergines are young and virtually seedless, you can skip salting and just soak the slices in cold water to stop them from browning whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

Peel and slice 1 medium onion and finely chop 4 cloves of garlic….

….dice 2 tomatoes and slice 5 – 6 green chillies.

After prepping the ingredients, drain the aubergine slices in a colander thoroughly.

Once drained add 1/2 tsp of salt….

….and 1 tsp of cumin powder then mix to coat the aubergine slices.

Prepare a large frying pan and drizzle with some oil, try not to add too much oil as the aubergine will absorb it like a sponge. Remember, any oil the aubergine slices soak up during the frying process will be released later when they cook through completely.

Once the oil is hot, add the aubergine slices and cook on high for a few minutes.

When the slices look browned (top left photo) on the underside, turn over and repeat on the other side.

Carry on frying the slices like this, adding a little more oil if necessary, till all the pieces are fried. Transfer to a flat dish till needed.

To begin preparing the masala, add some oil to the same frying pan….

….once hot add the sliced onion, chopped garlic cloves and 3/4 of a tsp of salt (this can be adjusted later if needed).

Mix and allow the onions to cook covered, till soft and translucent.

Once the onions are translucent (top left photo) start to add the ground spices.

Add 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp mixed curry powder….

….1 tsp of coriander powder and 1/2 tsp of cumin powder.

Mix the spices with the onion and if your onion seems dry, add a splash of water to loosen.

Cover the pan and allow the onion to cook with the spices over a low heat till the oil separates from the onion (top right photo).

Next add the diced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes to soften.

Next add the fried aubergine slices back into the pan.

Mix to coat the aubergine slices with the masala and cook covered over a low heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Make sure that you thoroughly coat the aubergine slices with the masala at this stage as you will NOT get another opportunity to do this otherwise you will end up turning the dish to mush.

The aubergine is cooked when it has changed in colour and the excess moisture has been released into the frying pan (bottom right photo).

Finish off the dish by adding the sliced green chillies and chopped coriander (I have used frozen here instead).

The dish is now ready to serve.

Carefully plate up the Baingon Ar Tematoo Biran, ensuring you don’t damage the round slices when plating. Serve with plain rice or a simple flatbread and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!

3.5.3226

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