Badshahi Baingan is the special brinjal recipe, made by fried brinjals, cooked in rich gravy and then spiced up with rich Indian spices. This is the delicious main course dish which is perfect at the time of dinning. Try this recipe in your own kitchen with herbs and spices of your choice.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 medium size brinjals (each cut into two pieces)
• 2 big onions cut into slices
• 4 tomatoes cut into chunks
• 8 green chillies chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 dried red chilli
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 black peppercorns
• 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp kitchen king
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
• 6-7 cashew nuts
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 1 tbsp curd
• 2 tbsp fresh cream
• 1 tbsp ghee or butter
• Oil to deep fry
• Salt to taste

For Garnishing you need:

• Fresh cilantro chopped
• Few mint leaves chopped
• Few raisins
• Few almonds sliced

How to make Badshahi Baingan:

1. Use the knife through the baingan vertically and horizontally to fill the salt.
2. Now fill little bit of salt in all the baingan’s and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.
3. In a sauce pan combine cashew nuts, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Roast them for few seconds and then grind to make a smooth powder.
4. Remove the oil from the pan and leave only 2 tbsp oil.
5. Now fry the sliced onion until translucent. Allow to cool.
6. In a blending bowl add fried onion, tomatoes and green chillies.
7. Grind and make a medium thick puree. Do not grind it fully.
8. Melt the butter in a kadhai, add Dried red chilli, bay leaf, cinnamon, peppercorns and cloves.
9. Saute for few seconds, now add ginger-garlic paste. Cook for few seconds.
10. Pour the grounded puree and add salt, red chilli powder and cardamom powder.
11. Cook until turn into nice colorful gravy.
12. Add fried brinjals (baingans), grounded powder of cashew nuts, coriander powder and kitchen king.
13. Mix well and add curd, kasuri methi and fresh cream.
14. Mix and stir continue.
15. Simmer the flame, cover the kadhai and leave to cook for about 4 minutes.
16. Finally when it seems that brinjals are cooked in rich badshahi gravy, then turn off the gas and garnish with chopped cilantro, mint leaves, raisins and almonds.
17. Serve hot with nann, kulcha or paratha.

Chef Tips:

1. If your gravy is too dry then adjust it with little bit of water.
2. Fry the brinjals in hot oil until become crispy.