Smoked, Mashed, and Magical: Baingan Bharta
A fiery, soulful eggplant dish straight from the heart of Indian kitchens
I’ve always found it quietly amusing that two of my favorite fruits—peaches and eggplants—have become internet shorthand for things far cheekier than their culinary uses. But today, we're steering clear of thirst traps and heading into the kitchen, where the eggplant, aka aubergines or brinjals, gets the attention it truly deserves. This is your little guide to cooking eggplants like a pro, with science-backed hacks, practical tips, and the kind of detail that makes all the difference. And then, there’s the reward: baingan bharta, that intensely smoky, soft-spoken yet powerful Indian classic. It’s comforting, iconic, and—if you ask me—just about the best way to eat an eggplant.
In this paid subscriber newsletter, you will…
Learn why I often quickly microwave eggplant before frying
Get to know the smoky, spiced magic of baingan bharta and how it varies across the Indian subcontinent
Get my recipe for the baingan bharta that I make at home!
And don’t miss Sami Tamimi’s Eggplant & Chickpeas with Green Lemon Sauce/ Bitinjan ma’ Hummus that I shared last week!
🔬 Kitchen Chemistry: Cooking Eggplant Like a Pro
Here’s a collection of eight clever, science-backed kitchen hacks for cooking with eggplant—whether you're roasting, frying, grilling, or storing them. These tips can help you get the most flavor and best texture out of every eggplant dish:
1. Salt for Better Texture (and Less Bitterness)
Why it works: Salt draws out excess moisture via osmosis, collapsing air pockets, and preventing sogginess when cooking. It also tames bitterness in older or larger eggplants, more so by masking the bitterness (and not destroying the bitter compounds as previously thought). However, farmers have selectively bred out bitterness from eggplants, and today’s eggplant doesn’t taste bitter, so this is now less of a concern.
How to do it:
Slice or cube eggplant.
Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit for 30 to 60 minutes in a colander.
Pat dry (no need to rinse and pat dry, unless you do end up oversalting).
Bonus: This hack helps prevent your eggplant from soaking up too much oil during frying or roasting.
2. Choose the Right Variety
Not all eggplants behave the same.