What is Begun Basanti ?
As the name says , Begun-Basanti , Begun/Eggplant is a very popular vegetable in Bengali cuisine and ‘Basanti‘ comes from the color of the dish which is basically light yellow.
It is one of the popular vegetarian Bengali dish , prepared by cooking the fried eggplants in , rich and creamy , tangy-spicy yogurt-mustard based gravy.
It is one of the popular vegetarian Bengali dish , prepared by cooking the fried eggplants in , rich and creamy , tangy-spicy yogurt-mustard based gravy.
Yields:
4 serving
4 serving
Preparation Time:
15 minutes
15 minutes
Cooking Time:
20 minutes
20 minutes
Difficulty Level:
medium
medium
Ingredients
- Small eggplant , cut in half – 6-8
- Black and Yellow mustard seed paste/mustard powder – 4-5 tbsp
- Yoghurt – 1/4 cup
- Nigella seeds / kalojeera – 1/2 tsp
- Green chilies – 3-4
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar – 1/2 tsp
- Mustard oil – 3-4 tbsp
- Water
- Coriander Leaves
Instructions
To make the mustard seed paste, soak same proportion of black and yellow mustard seeds in water for about an hour, then grind them with some salt, green chilies and water. Or you can use store bought mustard seed powder.
Cut each eggplant lengthwise into half. Sprinkle salt and turmeric. Mix well and marinate for 10 minutes.
Heat 2 tbsp mustard oil in a skillet on medium high. Add the marinated eggplants in a single layer. Cook till the bottom side browns slightly. Turn over and cook on the other side. Then add quarter cup of water, reduce the heat and cover the pan and cook till the eggplants are cooked. Remove and keep aside.
After that in the same pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of mustard oil and add nigella seeds and green chilies.
When they start to sputter add that yogurt-mustard mixture into the hot oil. Add salt and sugar to taste. Add a pinch of turmeric powder for color. Cook well for 5 – 7 minutes , till oil separates from the sauce.
Now add a little bit of water , bring the sauce to a boil and add the fried eggplants.
Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle some coriander leaves.
Turn off the gas. Cover and let it rest for few more minutes.
Serve hot with rice or roti.