Begun Bhaja | Pan Sauted Eggplant | Easy Side Dishes

This week on Blogging Marathon, theme is "Cooking on a Tawa / skillet / shallow pan" . Stay tuned to see 2 more dishes using this appliance

We begin with a popular side dish from the Bengali kitchen. Begun bhaja or pan seared eggplants is an ubiquitous part of the Bengali thali or even everyday meals. 

For the eggplant or the baingan (Bengali - begun), you have either the lovers or haters. Thankfully my family lies in the former category. 

I generally make palya (dry sauté), baba Ghanoush (middle eastern dip), vangibhath (eggplant in a flavoured rice ), vangi poha (poha / flattened rice snack with eggplants and spices) or even make kootu with karamani (black eyed peas) { My personal favourite}  or sambhar with this veggie. 

Have you also checked the cajun spiced GF and 100% flour free pizzas that can be made with this veggie ? You must try them if you a huge fan like my elder one. 

My husband's favourite is of course baingan Bharta, and he invariably orders it on the rare occasion that he eats out. 

And for this dish today, you need the large round purple brinjals (aka bhartewali baingan). Choose one that's firm and without too many seeds to get the perfect texture. 

Now, Let's see how to make this :

Prep - 10 mins ; cook time - 15 mins. Serves : 2

Ingredients:

• Large purple eggplant (tender n fleshy with almost zero seeds) -1 no.
• Spices - turmeric, red chilli powder, amchur (dry mango powder)
• Rice flour / besan (gramflour) - as required
• Salt - to Taste
• Oil - 4 tablespoon (mustard oil works best, but I used canola)

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Method: 

1. Wash and pat dry the eggplant. Cut into thick slices. Soak in salted water for 6-8 mins.
2. Now pat dry again thoroughly. Remove all traces of water using multiple layers of kitchen tissues. 
3. Mix all spice powders including salt as required in a bowl. Add the slices veggies , toss them to coat it evenly. Marinate for 7-10 mins. 
4. Coat the marinated slices in a flat plate of rice flour or besan and shake off the excess flour. 
5. On a medium hot fry pan / tawa,  grease the same with generous oil. add the slices one by one without overlapping (make two batches of the veggies if required). Let them cook on medium flame for 6 mins on each side or till done, flip them
6. Once one side gets crispy. 
7. Let both the sides get crispy. Serve hot with motar dal, rice and some salad. Also goes with hot phulkas (puffed wholewheat chapati)

Sending this toBM #70under Tawa fried dishes