Achari Baingan Masala – Eggplant With Pickle Spices

Achari Baingan is a delicious Punjabi dish where fried eggplants are tossed together with Indian pickle masala. This simple but impressive vegetarian recipe makes for a great side dish, packed with amazing flavour and utterly delicious. Baingan Achari is the perfect meat-free meal bursting with traditional Indian flavours to create a delicious vegetarian delight.

Eggplant is such a versatile vegetable – from Baingan Bharta to Bagara Baingan there’s so many ways to put your favourite nightshade to good use.

Achari Baingan Recipe Punjabi Style:

Achari Baingan is a gluten-free, vegetarian friendly Punjabi dish. The fragrant pickle spices are a perfect base for this eggplant dish with absolutely tasty results. This begun ka recipe pairs well with any Indian flatbread or steamed rice and dal.

Take 10 small brinjals, wash and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Keep them immersed in salt water to prevent discolouration.

Finely chop the onion and tomato and mince the ginger and garlic.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium high. While the oil heats up, transfer the brinjals into a colander and sprinkle salt over them. Toss well.

Gently drop the brinjals into the hot oil and fry them to a golden brown.

Remove the fried brinjals with a slotted spoon and keep aside.

Heat 1 ½ tbsp. oil in a kadai. Add the minced ginger and garlic and saute for a couple of seconds till the raw smell goes away. Toss in the curry leaves and fry till they turn crisp.

Now add the hing, mustard seeds, Nigella seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. Mix well and saute for a few seconds.

Then put in the chopped onions. Fry till the onions become translucent.

Tip in the chopped tomatoes and combine well.

Cook on medium heat till the tomatoes soften.

Then add the seasoning – salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and Amchur powder.

Mix well and saute till all the masala are well blended.

Now add the fried eggplants to the pan and gently mix them with the onion-tomato masala.

Cook for 1-2 minutes till the brinjals are well coated with the masalas.

Serve Achari Baingan Masala with steamed rice and dal.

If you are searching for more eggplant recipes, then do try out Begun Shorshe and Vankaya Ulli Masala.

Achari Begun Ki Recipe details below:

Baingan Achari Masala

Baingan Achari Recipe is a flavourful Punjabi side dish made with brinjals (eggplants) tossed in spices used in Indian pickles. The word“ Achar” means pickle in Hindi. This spiced up Eggplant recipe will truly warm you inside and out.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Punjabi

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings 4

Calories 107.5kcal

Author Shil

Ingredients

10 small purple brinjals
½ tsp salt
Oil for deep frying

For the Achari Masala:

1 sprig curry leaves
1 medium onion
2 medium tomatoes
1 tsp ginger finely chopped
1 tsp garlic finely chopped
1/8 tsp asafoetida/hing
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
½ tsp Nigella seeds/ kala jeera
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¾ tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
¼ tsp dry mango powder/amchur poowder
1 ½ tbsp. oil

Instructions

For this Baingan Achari, wash the baby eggplants well. Cut them into quarters or 1” pieces. Drop the cut eggplants into water to which a little salt is added to keep them from turning brown.
Chop 1 medium onion and 2 medium tomatoes finely. Also grate or mince garlic and ginger.
Heat oil for deep frying in a large pan over medium-high heat. While waiting for the oil to heat up, transfer the eggplants into a colander and season with salt.
Slide the eggplant pieces into the hot oil. Keep flipping the eggplants over so that they cook evenly on both sides. Once they turn golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon to drain the excess oil and transfer to a bowl. Keep aside.
Next heat some oil in a saute pan and drop in the minced garlic and ginger. Fry for 1-2 seconds.
Then add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
Now add the asafoetida, mustard and fennel seeds, Nigella and fenugreek seeds. Saute over medium heat.
Once they pop add the finely chopped onion. Fry for 1-2 minutes till onions start to sweat and turn translucent.
Now put in the chopped tomato, mix well and cook over medium heat till they turn mushy.
Next sprinkle salt, haldi powder, chilli powder, dhania powder and dry mango powder. Combine well and cook till all the masalas are well incorporated.
Lastly add the fried eggplants and mix well with the masalas. Cook for a couple of minute on low heat till the eggplants absorb all the achari flavour.
Serve Baingan Achari with hot rice, dal and papad.