Baingan Pakora (Brinjal Bajji)

Ingredients

• 5 to 6 brinjal (small sized) – eggplant or aubergine
• 1 cup gram flour (besan)
• ⅔ cup water or add as required
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper or paprika
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
• 1 pinch baking soda – optional
• salt as required
• oil for deep frying, as required

Steps

Making batter

1. Put the gram flour, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and a generous pinch of asafoetida (hing) in a mixing bowl. Add the baking soda if using it, along with salt as required.
2. Pour in ⅔ cup water, or as much as needed.
3. Whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. Add water as needed to bring it to a medium consistency.

Frying

1. Give the brinjals a rinse and cut them into thin slices.
2. Dip the brinjal slices into the batter to coat them evenly.
3. Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Any neutral oil with a high smoke point works, such as sunflower or peanut oil. When the oil is medium hot, place the slices in it gently to fry.
4. Flip the slices once the first side is partly cooked.
5. Give them a minute or so, then turn them again and fry until the pakoras are crisp and evenly golden.
6. Lift out the pakoras with a slotted spoon and drain off as much oil as possible.
7. Set the pakoras on a paper kitchen towel to absorb excess oil. Use the same method to fry the rest in batches.
8. Serve the baingan pakora hot or warm with coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, or tomato ketchup. The recipe author sometimes has them with roti or bread. They can also be tucked into bread to make a sandwich.