Baingan ka Salan or brinjal curry is a classic side dish that brings out the natural, powerful flavours of biriyani. I first encountered it at a biriyani fest where a friend had paired Hyderabadi biriyani with brinjal curry. Where I grew up in Kerala, there were no curries or accompaniments to biriyani. It’s a spicy, tangy, highly flavourful curry that everyone loves. I also use it instead of a pickle at my dinner parties and it is always popular with my guests. It’s the perfect dish to elevate any bread or rice. In my version, I use thin strips of brinjal instead of big, chunky pieces which is usually used.
How to prepare brinjal curry in 3 steps?
- Slice, marinate and fry brinjal.
- Prepare the tomato onion gravy.
- Simmer brinjal in the gravy.
What to serve with it?
As mentioned, brinjal curry is an excellent side dish for biriyani. It also pairs well with plain rice and roti, which I routinely prepare for meals at home.
Check out other vegetarian recipes here.
Baingan ka Salan (Brinjal side dish)
Ingredients
Spice Mix
Instructions
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Wash and pat dry brinjal. Slice into thin, long strips. Rub 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric and keep aside for 10 min in a bowl.
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Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water and keep aside.
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Place a small pan on flame, roast peanuts until it starts to change colour, now add sesame seeds and roast for few min until sesame seeds turn colour. Transfer to a grinder and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.
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Heat a pan and add 1 tbsp of gingelly oil. Squeeze brinjal and fry on high flame. Reserve the liquid in the bowl. After frying for 5 to 8 min, take it out and keep aside.
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Add 1 tbsp oil (if needed) to the same pan. Splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add chopped onions. Saute until light brown. Add ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2 min. Now add tomatoes and saute for 2 min. Now add tomatoes and saute until mushy. Add chilli powder, cumin powder, green chilli, pepper and saute for 2 min more. Mix the spice mix with vinegar and add to the masala. Saute for 2 min.
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Mash the soaked tamarind with fingers. Pour mashed mixture through a strainer and add it to the masala.
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Add brinjal to the gravy. And cook on medium flame for 5 min. Cook until oil leaves the sides of the pan.
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Add 1/2 cup of water and simmer for few minutes. Add the ground powder to the gravy. Simmer for few min. Add more water if needed.
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Adjust salt. Curry should be sour and spicy.
Note
Ginger garlic paste - Grind equal quantities of Indian ginger and garlic in a grinder (without water) to a fine paste. This can be stored in a clean, dry jaw in the fridge for upto 2 weeks.
Peanuts - Roasted salted peanuts can be used in this recipe to save time. Roast the sesame seeds and grind it along with roasted peanuts.
