Neem Begun Bhaja – Brinjal And Neem Leaves Fry | Neem Pata Begun

Neem Begun

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.

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.

Neem Leaves

Next wash and cut brinjals into cubes and sprinkle salt on them and toss well.

Ingredients

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.

Fried brinjal cubes

Next, put in the nimtree leaves and fry over low heat till them become crisp and dry.

Fry Nimtree leaves

Then add the fried nimtree leaves to the fried brinjals.

Nimtree leaves and brinjal

Mix the nimtree leaves and brinjal bhaja well.

Mix Eggplant and Nimtree leaves

Serve Neem Begun with white rice and ghee.

Neem Begun

If you are searching for more brinjal recipes, then do try out Achari Begun

Nimtree Leaves And Brinjal Recipe details below:

Neem Begun

Bengali Neem Begun Bhaja is an interesting mix of neem leaves with brinjals. This margosa and brinjal fry recipe is usually had at the start of a meal in Bengal.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Bengali

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings 2

Calories 62kcal

Author Shil

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

* Fry the brinjal pieces first and then the neem leaves. Otherwise the brinjal pieces will acquire the bitter taste of neem.
* To eat, mix fried eggplant and fried neem leaves with a little rice. The sweetness of brinjal offsets the bitterness of neem leaves.