Begun Bhaja | Spicy Pan Fried Eggplants

This is my absolute favorite way to eat eggplant!

Spicy pan fried eggplants with crispy edges and a gooey center. This is THE perfect side dish. These eggplants go extremely well with steamed rice and your favorite daal or curry. Meant to be served as a side dish, it’ll really elevate your meal with it’s simple yet powerful flavor profile. I served it with my easy 20 minute garlic daal, and it was phenomenal. The perfect vegetarian/vegan meal really. I’ve been craving more ever since!

Eggplants have a foam like texture that is notorious for soaking up a lot of oil

But not to worry, once your eggplants cook all the way through, the inner structure will collapse, letting the oil drain out and turning into the most tender velvety texture! If you don’t cook your eggplants all the way through, they will be tough in the center and hold a lot of oil inside so make sure to take them off only when the inner layer starts separating from the skin. That’s how you know the eggplant is cooked through.

If you want the eggplants to soak in less oil,

you can microwave the eggplants on a plate for a minute or two first to collapse its structure beforehand, heavily salt the eggplants for 30 minutes first to drain the water out then wash and use, or some people even soak the eggplant in cold water for an hour first to fill it with water so the oils don’t have a chance to get soaked in, but I personally don’t think that method works.

The spices for this dish are super simple, you only need 3 ingredients!

I like to use 1 part chili powder to 1 part turmeric powder, and 1/4 part salt. If you’d like it to be less spicy you can adjust by adding less chili powder and turmeric to the mix. You can make a larger batch to use whenever or make a small amount for just the eggplants. This mix is also great on all kinds of fish and veggies. Simple ingredients that pack a punch!

Check out the full process in this video:

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 lb eggplants (I like to use chinese long ones as they cook faster)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• oil (for frying)

INSTRUCTIONS 

Wash and cut your eggplant into 1 inch thick discs, wash again.

Mix all seasonings in a small bowl, then sprinkle heavily onto the eggplants.

Use your fingers to massage it into a paste like consistency on the eggplants. (wear gloves for color/smell if you want)

Heat a pan on medium, add in a nice heavy layer of oil, then place your eggplants in one by one.

Fry on medium-low, until its nice and charred on one side, which will take some time. Then flip to cook the other side. Add more oil if needed.

Once the inside layer of the eggplant starts to peel away from the skin, they’re done! You might have to take them off the pan one by one if some are done before the other. Serve hot with steamed rice, and enjoy!