Neem Begun Bhaja – fried brinjal with a sprinkling of tender neem leaves. A typical Bengali lunch menu starts with something bitter – either karela fry or neem begun.
Neem (Azadirachta indica), is commonly known as nimtree, neem or Indian lilac.
Neem has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties. The wonderful neem contains chemicals which kill bacteria, help control blood sugar levels, heal stomach ulcers, and check plaque formation in the mouth.
Bengalis typically start their meals with something Teto (bitter). Neem Begun is a dry preparation where brinjal pieces are fried brown, sprinkled with crispy fried neem leaves and taken as the first course. It is mixed with rice along with a dollop of ghee. It is believed eating something bitter at the start of a meal, cleanses the body of impurities.
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Neem Begun Bhaja Recipe:
Fried eggplant with a sprinkling of crisp neem leaves – nothing gets better than this to detoxify your body and give it a good cleansing. This authentic Bengali dish makes for an interesting and nutritious combo.
- To make Eggplant and Nimtree leaves fry, firstly pick and thoroughly wash the fresh and tender nimtree leaves well. Pat dry.
- Next wash and cut brinjals into cubes and sprinkle salt on them and toss well.
- Heat oil in a pan. Put in the salted brinjals first and fry over medium heat to a golden brown, stirring in-between.
- Remove the fried brinjals and keep aside.
- Next, put in the nimtree leaves and fry over low heat till them become crisp and dry.
- Then add the fried nimtree leaves to the fried brinjals.
- Mix the nimtree leaves and brinjal bhaja well.
- Serve Neem Begun with white rice and ghee.
If you are searching for more brinjal recipes, then do try out Achari Begun
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Nimtree Leaves And Brinjal Recipe details below:
Neem Begun
Ingredients
- Brinjal – 1 small or ½ medium
- Neem/Margosa leaves – 1 bunch
- Salt to taste
- Oil – 3tbsp
Instructions
- Wash and pick neem leaves.
- Wash and cut brinjal into small cubes. Add salt and mix well.
- Heat oil in a kadai/pan. Fry the brinjals to a brown colour. Drain and remove.
- In the same oil add neem leaves and fry till crisp and dry. Drain and remove.
- Mix the neem leaves with begun.
- Serve Neem Begun Bhaja with hot rice and ghee. It is usually had as the first course along with a dollop of ghee.
Notes
* To eat, mix fried eggplant and fried neem leaves with a little rice. The sweetness of brinjal offsets the bitterness of neem leaves.
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