Vegan baingan bharta

Vegan baingan bharta (spiced roasted aubergine) with tomatoes, garlic and spices: creamy, well spiced and uncomplicated from the oven to the plate.

At a glance

• Serves 3
• Prep time: 10 min
• Cooking time: 35 min
• Total time: 45 min
• Calories: 200 kcal per serving
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Carbs: 18 g

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece of ginger (about 2 cm)
• 1 chilli
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 handful of fresh coriander

Method

You’ll need: oven · saucepan · chopping board · knife · wooden spoon

1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan) and prick the aubergines all over. Roast them for 30–40 min until the skin is dark and wrinkled and the inside is very soft.
2. Leave the aubergines to cool briefly, halve them and scoop the flesh out of the skin. Mash it roughly with a fork.
3. Finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and tomatoes. Heat the coconut oil in a pan and toast the cumin briefly until fragrant.
4. Soften the onion until translucent, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Stir in the tomatoes, ground coriander and turmeric and cook down until thick.
5. Fold in the aubergine flesh and season with garam masala and salt. Let the bharta simmer briefly so everything comes together.
6. Garnish the baingan bharta with fresh coriander and serve with chapati or basmati rice.

Good to know

Baingan bharta is one of those dishes that gets amazing depth from very little effort. The roasted aubergine makes it soft, smoky and really comforting.

Swaps

Coconut oil → olive oil (mainly monounsaturated fatty acids). Fresh coriander → parsley (also adds aromatic plant compounds). Basmati rice → brown rice (also provides fibre). Chapati → wholemeal roti (provides complex carbohydrates and fibre).

Allergens

The recipe is naturally vegan and free from the most common allergens. For children, simply cook it with less chilli, and in pregnancy it's generally considered fine as long as the veg is cooked through well.

Dairy-free recipes