One of Deepa Mehrotra’s signature dishes is her Dahi Baingan.
Lightly spiced, cool, refreshing, ideal for a summer day, it's brimming with flavour.
Her guests love it and the serving bowl is left wiped clean after one of Deepa and Ashish’s dinners, both gracious hosts and foodies par excellence.
Deepa’s Dahi Baingan
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized baingans or eggplants or brinjals, cut in thin circles
- 2 large tomatoes or 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- ½ cup water
- 8-10 garlic pods, minced
- ½-inch piece ginger, grated
- 1 tsp kalonji or nigella seeds
- 1 tsp rai or mustard seeds
- Pinch hing or asafoetida
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 2 light green chillies, 1-inch pieces
- 2-3 red chillies
- 2-3 tbsp chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro
- Pinch garam masala powder
- Pinch sonf or fennel seed powder
- 1 tsp lal mirch or red chilly powder
- 1 tbsp mustard oil for the seasoning or tadka
- 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil for frying the eggplant slices
- 400-600 gm dahi or yoghurt, whipped, salted with a pinch of salt
Photograph: Zelda Pande
Method
- Pan fry the eggplant slices in a little oil till cooked, flipping halfway through, and keep aside.
- In a frying pan or kadhai heat the mustard oil over medium heat.
Add the rai, hing, kallonji, whole red chillies and let it crackle.
Add the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, water and fry up well over medium heat till it’s a thick paste.
Add the garam masala powder, lal mirchi powder, salt, green chillies, sonf.
- Lightly toss the spiced paste with the baingan slices.
Mildly warm but don't make too hot.
- Lay out the spiced baingan in a flat dish or platter.
Ladle the salted dahi over the baingan slices, before serving.
Garnish with green dhania.
- Serve with hot Basmati rice, rotis, naans or plain, by itself.
Deepa’s Note: Add thin round slices of boiled alu with the fried baingan, if preferred.
Those who like mustard oil, can opt to fry the baingan in mustard oil too.
Vegans can opt to use vegan yoghurt.
Those on a Jain diet can omit the onion, garlic and ginger and use 1 tsp saunth or ginger powder.
Deepa Mehrotra hails from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, but has been living in Mumbai for over two decades. In the family, she is famous for her recipe repertoire, especially a unique carrots and beans paneer dish. And her Chole Bhatura and an awesome Jackfruit Pulau.
Lead image: Kind courtesy Swetapadma07/Wikimedia Commons. Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes.