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Bhagara Baingan

A fried eggplant dish simmered in coconut, spices, and tamarind.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 16 ingredients
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Why it works: Coriander and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,866 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Bhagara Baingan

Timeabout 5 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the eggplant

  1. Slit the baingans and deep fry over high heat until glossy and a little tender.

  2. Remove from oil and keep aside.

Make the masala

  1. Grind the coconut and the roasted coriander, cumin and sesame seeds together, using a little water if needed.

  2. Heat 1/4 cup of oil and sauté the onions, ginger and garlic until onions are soft and a little transparent.

  3. Add curry leaves and turn around, then add the ground mixture and sauté until the fat separates.

  4. Add the tamarind paste, salt, turmeric, red pepper and mix well, then add the baingans and turn around a few times.

  5. Add about a quarter of a cup of water.

Cook and serve

  1. Bring to a boil, simmer, and cover for about 5 minutes.

  2. Serve hot garnished with hara dhania.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

553Calories
4 gProtein
55 gFat
15 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 11 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Coconut1/2 cup shredded (40g)283
Sesame1 tbsp (14g)120
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Turmeric1 tsp ground (3g)9
Cumin1 tsp ground (2.1g)8
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Tamarindnot in our table0
Coriandernot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Coriander + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,866 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  2. Tamarind + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together184 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  3. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  4. Ginger + coriandertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,505 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).

  5. Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,082 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Baingans
Frying gives the skin a glossy finish and softens the flesh so it absorbs the sauce.
Onions
Softened slowly in oil, they build sweetness and a base body for the masala.
Grated dry coconut
Ground into the masala, it adds richness and thickens the gravy.
Tamarind paste
Adds sourness that balances the spices and the richness of the coconut.
Coriander seeds, cumin and sesame seeds
Roasting and grinding them releases aroma and gives the masala its nutty, earthy flavour.
Oil
Carries the spices' flavour and, once the fat separates, shows the masala is cooked.

The step that matters

Frying the eggplant. Eggplant soaks up oil quickly and can turn greasy or collapse if the oil is not hot enough. High heat seals the surface so the pieces stay intact and hold their shape in the gravy.

Swap the coconut

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, garlic, ginger, tamarind, coriander, cumin, sesame):

  1. Limefits better
  2. Avocadofits better
  3. Coconutthe original
  4. Lemonfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, garlic, ginger, tamarind, coriander, cumin, sesame. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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