Baingan Ka Bartha - Smoked Brinjal and capsicum in tomato gravy

A long time since I wrote down some traditional, go to recipes. I learnt this while in school from my mom. She is very fond of roasted brinjal recipes. There is another one apart from Baigan ka bartha. The other one is made with fresh ground spices and curd. The king of the vegetables is a favorite in the Andhra (Telugu) cuisine and is almost a must have in wedding and festive menus. Most friends of mine die hard fans of brinjal and a stuffed brinjal recipe being one of the most sought after (Gutthi vankaya).

The original roasted brinjal recipe is originally from middle eastern/Persian kitchens and is called Baba Ghanoush, Indian versions use a few more spices and different oils (original Persian recipe uses olive oil). My recipe is a little different from the conventional baingan (brinjal) ka Bartha as i add the smoked/roasted capsicum for a very unique twist to the dish

Allergy: Soy free, dairy free, vegan, low spice and low fat

You need:

(serves 4 sumptiously)

Dish type: Sabzi/gravy/soup
Origin: Middle east 
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Author: Sudha

Main Ingredients
Brinjal (big variety)- 1/2 kg 

Capsicum - 2  (large ones)

tomatoes - 4 (large ones)

onion- 2 large

ginger - 1 inch piece

garlic - 3 cloves

Spices:

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Sambhar / Khuzhambhu powder - 2 tsp

garam masala - 1/4 tsp

salt (to taste)

Ghoda masala - 1/4 tsp (optional)

chilli powder -1/2 tsp (optional) (i skipped it )

Water - 1/4 cup 

Tempering

cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

bay leaf - 1

red chilli - 1 

oil - 2 tsp 

Procedure

1- Slit the brinjal lightly on the skin and rub a little olive oil on the brinjal and the capsicum. It helps in roasting better

2- Fire roast them

3- Crush Ginger and garlic and chop tomatoes

4- Peel (lightly) and Chop the roasted brinjal and capsicum, and chop onions as well

5- Pour oil in the pan and add tempering ingredients (cumin, red chilli, bay leaf)

6- Add in onions, ginger garlic paste and saute on low flame until the onion turns translucent and browns a little

7- add turmeric powder, sambhar /kuxhambhu powder, ghoda masala and saute for a minute

8 - add tomatoes and pour a little water and saute until the gravy is well done. 

9- add the capsicuma and brinjal and saute for another two to three minutes on medium flame. pour the remaining water or as needed and add salt and cook until the ingredients come together 

All done

Works very well with breads/ roit / rice. I love them with cooked millets :)