Vaigana Bajji / Green Brinjal Bharta is a dish prepared almost all round in all parts of India. Different communities prepare it a bit differently in their own traditional ways. However the basics remain the same. The traditional method of preparing the brinjal is by roasting it on flame all over till it is well cooked within. However now a days many people just chop the brinjal and pressure cook it to one whistle and proceed with the remaining preparation due to either lack of time or patience. Roasting brinjal on even flame needs attention as the brinjal has to be kept turning over till evenly roasted on all sides and is really time consuming.
Also brinjal should be checked properly to see that there are no holes in them while buying. This is the indication that there may be worms in it. This also is one of the reasons why some prefer just slicing it up to check that there are no worms within and then just cook it normally. But roasting method does give a different flavour of its own which is not obtained by any other method. The aroma steeps into the brinjal and the final result is simply a very tasty bharta.
Preparation of Bharta : Wash and wipe clean a large sized Brinjal. I used the green variety. Prick some holes all over the brinjal with the help of fork.
Put a steel gauge rack on gas burner and place the brinjal on it. Keep the flame medium and start roasting the brinjal. Keep turning the brinjal on all sides to evenly roast the brinjal. Do not increase the flame as then the brinjal may not get properly cooked from within.
Once the brinjal is roasted on all sides crisply, remove and put it in a bowl, cover with a lid and leave it aside for some time to cool down. This ensures that the brinjal gets further cooked on its own heat and also the smoked aroma seeps into the brinjal well which gives the bharta / bajji the smoked flavour.
Remove the outer skin gently from the brinjal and keep this aside ready.
Wash 5-6 bimbul. Snip off the ends and cut them into pieces. Boil them in half a cup of water till well cooked and mushy. You can also microwave it for 4-5 minutes. The bimbul should be cooked well so that you can mash it easily.
Peel off the skin and chop 1 large onion finely. Peel off 10-12 garlic cloves and chop them to medium size pieces. Keep them both ready aside for seasoning.
Add the brinjal (peeled off) and the bimbul in a bowl and mash it well with a potato masher. Do not use blender as it will mash and blend all together finely, which will not give the needed result. Mash with potato masher or hands only. Add about ½-1 cup of water while doing so.
Add salt to taste and mix well. Add in 5-6 green chillies chopped finely.
For seasoning : Heat a small pan with 4 tblsp of oil, when hot add in the chopped onions and fry till colour changes a bit. Now add in the chopped garlic and further continue frying in medium heat till both onions and garlic are evenly browned.
Pour the seasoning over the bharta / bajji and mix well. Cover and leave aside for 5-10 minutes for all the flavours to get evenly mixed up.
Serve the Bharta / Bajji for lunch or dinner with Dal Chawal or Roti. If not serving immediately keep the bharta / bajji in fridge to avoid it from getting spoilt. Remove the birnjal bharta from the fridge sometime before serving for it to come to room temperature.
Note: Bimbul is usually available only in Southern Parts of India and is used exclusively for souring up the dishes. You can use any other item that will give the dish the desired sourness like tamarind paste, Ambado (hogplums), tomatoes, Karmbola (Star Fruit) etc.
Where do you get the frozen bimbuls?
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