Brinjal Bhaji

Brinjal Bhaji is a modern British recipe for a classic British Indian Restaurant (BIR) dish of deep fried and curried aubergines typically served as a vegetarian starter. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Brinjal Bhaji.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

25 minutes

Total Time:

45 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Curry BIR Curries Vegetarian Recipes Spice Recipes British Recipes

A bhaji is, originally a curry of mashed vegetables, with the brinjal meaning aubergine (eggplant). In BIR cookery bhajis tend to contain pieces of vegetables rather than mashed veggies. Typical main ingredients are mushrooms, mixed vegetables, spinach (saag), mashed vegetables (pav) and lentils.
Bhaji-style curries are often served as an accompaniment or as a starter with flatbreads, though you can also order as a main course. In India, true bhajis are common street foods, particularly in Mumbai. This however, is a classic British Indian Restaurant dish (I will publish a recipe for Mumbai pav bhaji shortly so you can compare the authentic and BIR versions.

Ingredients:

Enough oil to deep fry the aubergines
2 Aubergines
5 tbsp oil
150g (1 cup) Onions, diced
2 green finger chillies sliced at a bias
1 tbsp (heaped) Garlic, finely chopped
1 ½ tsp Salt
250ml (1 cup) home-made Tomato puree
Boiling water, as needed
Coriander (cilantro), chopped, to garnish

For the Spices:
3/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 1/2 tsp mix powder
1 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Dried Kasoori Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Method:

Trim off the ends of the brinjals (aubergines) then slice into fairly thick rounds (about 3cm [1 in] thick). Quarter each round.

Half fill a wok or curry pan with oil and place over high heat. Once the oil is hot add in the aubergine (eggplant) pieces and deep fry for about 3 minutes, until they have light golden brown patches. Be careful not to over-fry or the brinjals will absorb too much oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside until needed.

Transfer 5 tbsp of the oil used to fry the brinjals into a clean wok or curry pan. Add the onions and the chopped garlic along with the sliced chillies and the salt. Stir everything to combine and fry for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to colour.

Add 1 cup boiling water and use to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking until almost all the water has evaporated (about 3 minutes) then add in the spices (except the methi and garam masala). Stir to combine and cook, stirring constantly for around 40 seconds, or until the spices are no longer raw.

Stir in the tomato purée then cover the pan and cook, checking every few minutes, for about 5 minutes or until the gravy is thick. Add in the fried brinjals, coating in the sauce then add 250ml (1 cup) boiling water. Crumble in the methi leaves and scatter over the garam masala.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Turn into a serving bowl, garnish with a handful of chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and serve.