Unassuming yet delectable, plant based Indian sides usually feature one star vegetable. They also follow standard cooking techniques that include a simple tempering, a ground and spiced up paste, or a base gravy. This dish is cooked in much the same way but is unique in the use of two vegetables — one of which (eggplant) has a distinct taste of its own. Add a Dal or Raita to your menu along with your aloo baingan masala, and you have a satiating and flavorsome meal ready for the family.
About Aloo Baingan
Aloo Baingan is a delicious Indian sabji (vegetable dish) made with diced potatoes and eggplant that have been simmered in a spiced onion tomato masala. You can make it dry or cook it into a gravy. Potato is a versatile tuber that adapts flavors from different ingredients and complements other vegetables in a particular dish. No wonder this vegetable is a popular ingredient found in many Indian sides. Eggplant or brinjal, on the other hand, has a strong and distinctive savor. When you combine the two together and immerse them in a spiced and tangy gravy, you have an exciting dish that screams succulent. You’ll find numerable versions of aloo baingan including regional and family variations. Many families have a signature style of using spices, herbs and aromatics for the masala as do home cooks from different parts of the country. Want a secret tip on the best way to enjoy your aloo baingan?Save some for the next day and serve it hot. The flavors intensify in the fridge overnight to create an unbeatable mouth feel. For more Potato recipes, you may like to checkAloo matarAloo methiDum alooPotato curry
My Recipe
My aloo baingan recipe is inspired by this aloo gobi which I shared a few years ago. This simple and tasty option for everyday meals comes together rather quickly. You don’t need a long list of ingredients other than the standard tempering and spices. You can make this either a aloo baingan sabji (dry curry) or a gravy dish following the same recipe. This time I used bottled tomato puree but I usually make it with fresh pureed tomatoes and it works the same way. But the bottled puree has a deeper flavor so use whatever you have on had. I have a couple of suggestions in the Pro tips section below, to help you get the texture right and make a perfectly cooked aloo baingan.
Ingredients
Potatoes: You can use any kind of potatoes like russet or Yukon gold. If using newly harvested potatoes they take lesser time to cook and can turn mushy faster. So note that. Eggplants: You may use any kind of potatoes – green or purple. Long, globe or Indian variety eggplants can all be used. Try choosing young eggplants as they don’t have a lot of seeds. Ginger and Garlic: You can use store bought ginger garlic paste or simply crush garlic and ginger in a mortar pestle. If you want you may use garlic and ginger powder, but make sure you add it at the last step before finishing the dish. More Brinjal recipes Eggplant BhartaStuffed brinjal fryBrinjal curryBagara bainganBharwa Baingan
How To Make Aloo Baingan (Stepwise Photos)
Prep the vegetables
1.Peel 250gms (2-3 medium) of potatoes. Chop these lengthwise and ½-inch thick. Keep the slices immersed in the water until ready to cook. 2. Rinse 250gms of eggplant (use 3-4 small eggplants or a medium one). Slice the eggplants lengthwise too, but with 1-inch thickness. Add the slices to the salted water. 3. Prep the other ingredients. Make the tomato puree by grinding 2 medium tomatoes (150gms of chopped tomatoes) in a blender or grinder. Chop the 110 to 120 grams onions (1 large, 1 cup chopped) and chop the green chilli (Serrano) keep the spices ready. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and ½-inch of ginger if you’ve run out of the paste. We will need ½ tbsp. (1 ½ teaspoon paste)
Cook the potatoes and eggplants
- Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds. Stir to prevent the seeds from burning.
- When the cumin seeds start spluttering and sizzling, add 1 chopped green chili. Stir well to combine. Skip the chili if you want a dish with low pungency and heat levels.
- Add 1 cup of chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until it turns translucent. Add ½ tablespoon of ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 1-2 minutes and be careful not to burn it.
- Remove the potatoes from the water and add to the pan. Mix to combine with the aromatics. Stir fry the potato slices on medium high flame for 2 to 3 minutes, until they turn slightly transparent. If you prefer mushy eggplants you may add them now but I prefer to add later.
- Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and sauté them until half cooked. The slices should be tender to touch but still a bit firm and undercooked.
- Remove the eggplant slices from the salted water and add them to the pan. Stir fry again for 2 to 3 minutes until eggplant skins begin to change color or sear a little.
- Cover with the lid again, lower the heat and cook the vegetables on low heat. The potatoes should be well-cooked and tender but not mushy. Stir frequently to ensure the food doesn’t stick to the bottom.
- Make the semi-dry vegetable or gravyWhen the eggplant and potatoes have cooked fully, it’s time to add the spices. Sprinkle½ to ¾ teaspoon of salt⅛ teaspoon of turmeric¾ to 1 teaspoon of chili powder1 to 1¼ teaspoon of garam masala1 to 1½ teaspoon of coriander powder
- Mix well to combine and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as required. Add or reduce the quantity of spices according to your preference.
- After the spices have blended well with the vegetables, increase the heat to medium. Add ¾ cup of tomato puree to the pan and stir well to combine.
- Cook the aloo baingan until the raw smell from tomatoes is removed. The masala will thicken up and stick to the vegetables.
- Continue cooking this as a semi-dry dish by adding ¼ cup of water. [If you want to transform it into a gravy or curry, add 1¼ cups of hot water. Stir well to let the ingredients mix together & simmer until the curry turns thick.]
- Taste test and add more salt if required. Simmer uncovered on low heat for a few minutes to let the flavors blend and the curry to thicken up. Remove from heat and garnish with 1 tablespoon of finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti, paratha, chapati, pulao or other mixed rice dishes.
How to make Instant Pot Aloo Baingan
At home we are not fans of overcooked and mushy veggies and this is what you can expect with most of the Instant pot eggplant dishes. However a lot of times I had to follow this method of cooking Aloo baingan in an instant pot simply for the reason, you are hands free and don’t need to baby sit. But also note that eggplants like mushrooms release a lot of moisture when pressure cooked, which you will need to evaporate on the saute mode at the last step. Here is how to do it.
Press Saute button on your Instant pot and pour oil to the steel insert. When the oil turns slightly hot (not super-hot), add the cumin seeds.Soon they will sizzle, add the fine chopped onions and green chilies. Saute until golden, you don’t need to brown them.Stir in the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in all the ground spices – turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt.Quickly add the potatoes and egg plants. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately pour the tomato puree.Mix well to deglaze and press cancel. Secure the Instant pot with the lid and position the steam release valve to sealing.Press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 2 minutes. When the Instant pot pressure cooking is done, let wait for the pressure to release for 3 to 4 mins.Release the rest manually by carefully moving the steam valve from sealing to venting. Open the lid and bring all the veggies to the center so all of the liquid moves to the sides. Press saute button.Let cook on saute mode without stirring or mixing, until most of the moisture is evaporated. It only takes a few minutes. To thicken the curry faster, you may mash down some of the potatoes.When the aloo baingan looks almost dry, mix and saute for 1 to 2 mins. Sprinkle coriander leaves and adjust salt to taste.
Pro Tips
Chopping aloo and baingan: First off – cube the potato and eggplant into uniform, medium sized pieces. How does this help? The vegetables cook evenly and faster. And don’t forget to soak chopped potatoes and eggplant in water until you’re ready to use them. The reason for this is simple – to prevent oxidization. You’ve probably noticed apple slices turning brown when left uncovered and exposed to the elements. The same process occurs in certain vegetables, especially tubers. Soaking eggplants in water, especially salted water, prevents them from darkening. Cook the potatoes first before you add the eggplant. The root vegetable takes longer to cook on the stovetop. When you add both to the pan at the same time, you risk ending up with either an unevenly cooked or a mushy and overcooked dish. Always add tomatoes later for faster cooking: Adding tomatoes too early before or along with potatoes and eggplants will hinder them from cooking. The acids in the tomatoes will lengthen the cook time of potatoes. Even more, the potatoes may take forever to cook unless you use a pressure cooker. Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Aloo baingan recipe first published in April 2016. Updated and republished in July 2021.
