Why the world loves and hates eggplants equally? The secret lies in the cooking

Unlike most vegetables in India, the baingan is truly Indian.

“Very well. I will marry you if you promise not to make me eat eggplant,” says a languid Fermina to the smitten Florentino in Gabriel García Márquez's Love in the Time of Cholera (1985). It’s astonishing how much abhorrence a humble vegetable can generate. People either love it or hate it. Count me among the lovers.

Baingan basics

Stuffed eggplant with yogurt and salad.

Unlike most vegetables in India (chillies, tomatoes, potatoes, etc.), the baingan is truly Indian. It’s a vegetable born and cultivated in the country and even finds a mention in our ancient texts and epics. The first ever name for it was the Sanskrit vrantakam from which the Hindi name baingan came. And though most of us think of this purple gem as a vegetable, technically, it’s a fruit since eggplants grow from a flowering plant and contain seeds. Along with disguising themselves as vegetables, eggplants are also hiding a lot of nutrients. “Mainly fibre which helps to move food through the digestive tract. They also contain antioxidants which protect against cell damage. The potassium content helps maintain healthy blood pressure. Even Ayurveda recommends eggplant for Vata and Kapha imbalances,” says nutritionist Shweta Shah, Founder of EatFit 24/7. And if you are wondering why it’s called an eggplant that’s because the first eggplants to arrive in the US was the white variety that looked like an egg hanging from a bush. That is, perhaps, what made the Americans give this outlandish name to the vegetable.

A love affair with eggplant

Roasted egglant can be a base for bhartas, chutneys and even soups. (Photo: Unsplash)

Long before the eggplant gained popularity as an emoji the purple vegetable has been a hot item in the culinary world. Chefs have loved cooking with it as it’s incredibly versatile, basically a flavour sponge. “Brinjal acquires the taste of the ingredients you cook it with, which is why it is one the favourite vegetables with most chefs. It tastes great even in combination with most other vegetables, with meat and also seafood. Try cooking the long purple variety of brinjal with drumsticks and fish. It’s delicious,” says Praveen Anand, chef culinaire at Dakshin ITC Hotels and a member of team baingan. One of the most sought after dishes on the Dakshin menu is Muvvankaya — slow-cooked baingan in green chilli and poppy seed paste.

The baingan is cooked in distinct ways in different parts of India. North India’s Baingan Bharta is the most popular followed by the Bharli Vangi of Maharashtra where baby brinjals are stuffed with a mixture of sauteed onions, garlic, some coconut, crushed roasted peanuts and the quintessential Marathi goda or ghati masala. The leftover stuffing mix is used as the base to cook the eggplants. Andhra makes a spicier, tangier version called Gutti Vankaya with tamarind and sesame seeds. My favourite is the Bengali begun bhaja which I can have a dozen with dal chawal. And who doesn’t love the tangy dahi baingan for dinner?

Ennai Kathrikai, a gravy based brinjal preparation of Tamil Nadu makes for an excellent side dish with rice or biryani. Just like Bagare Baingan of Hyderabad. Telugu land also makes a chutney — Vankaya Pachadi using the vegetable. It’s similar to the baingan bharta where the baingan is roasted and then smashed with green chillies, cumin and tamarind. Then there is Vankaaya Dosakaya Pachadi, in which the baingan marries yellow cucumber to create a mushy, spicy and tangy offspring. Goans cook their baingan with galmo or dried shrimp with a hint of kokum.

Odiya speciality of fried baingan with mustard sauce. (Photo: Sneha Senapati)

For the Odia people baingan is a delicacy. “We make Dahi Baigana where deep-fried brinjals are dunked in a spicy curd gravy and tempered with panch phoron. Baigana Chiun Badi Besara is another popular dish of brinjal and drumsticks cooked in a spicy mustard paste. Some people add badi (urad dal dumplings) to the dish while the non-vegetarians add prawns,” says Sneha Senapati a Mumbai-based Odia home chef.

Kashmiri Chokh Wangun. (Photo: Jasleen Marwah)

Kashmiris treat baingan differently. “We use the pink, long brinjals to make a Chokh Wangun, which is fried brinjals cooked in tamarind, asafoetida, Kashmiri red chilli powder and fennel seeds. Then there is Baingan Yakhni, fried brinjals tossed in our signature Kashmiri curd gravy. We also use dried brinjals in winter, that are dried in summer, and cooked in the same way as Chokh Wangun, except the taste and texture is much meatier. There are no onions, tomatoes, ginger or garlic in any of these preparations which makes them unique,” says Jasleen Marwah a chef and restauranteur who owns Folk a regional cuisine restaurant in Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda.

Kashmiri Chokh Wangun using dried brinjals. (Photo: Jasleen Marwah)

How does the world cook its eggplant?

Eggplant, having circumnavigated the world, exists in many delicious forms. One of the most popular dishes in Italy is not the pasta or the pizza but the Melanzane Parmigiana. Melanzane is the Italian word for eggplant and this baked dish of fried eggplant layered with cheese and tomato sauce is considered the ultimate comfort food. From being cooked with pasta to baked into lasagna layers to fried into crispy little fritters, roasted whole, or worked into a risotto — eggplants are truly celebrated in Italy. The Greeks stuff eggplant with eggplant for a dish called Yemista and even layer it up with potato, lamb mince in a tomato-based sauce for moussaka. In the Middle East the smoky, creamy baba ganoush becomes a luscious dip. Jews love their eggplant stuffed with meat or simply stacked in a pita sandwich with tahini and hard-boiled egg. They are also known to stew the eggplant and turn it into a slightly sweet jam to eat with laffa and pita. Imam bayildi is an onion-stuffed, olive-oil-cooked eggplant that’s extremely popular in the Arab world. Japan has a skinny variety that is often broiled with sweet miso.

It’s all about the cooking

The best part about baingan is that it can be anything you want it to be. Want it smashed and smoky? There’s the classic baingan bharta. Want it decadent? Have them coated in a masala and rawa fried. Want it stuffed with meat? No problem. Moist, oozing with juicy tomatoes and flaky cheese? Bake it in a casserole with fancy pasta sheets. The problem is not the vegetable but the method of cooking.

Baked slices of baingan can be added to sandwiches and salads or had just by themselves. (Photo: Unsplash)

Many people have been scarred by an unfortunate run-in with baingan — maybe it was undercooked, making it slimy, spongey and unpleasant. But when cooked right, baingan is delicious and hard to dislike believes homechef Rajan Sethi. “Breaded and fried might not be the healthiest option, but there's nothing wrong with indulgence every so often. Cut baingan into slices, dip them in egg wash, cover in breadcrumbs and fry. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside — you won't believe how tasty a baingan can be. Baingan and barbecue is a match made in heaven. Slice your baingan in half lengthways, or cut them into slices and brush with a bit of oil, and place on the barbecue. Serve drizzled with your favourite sauce, as part of a kebab platter, or slide them in a burger or salad,” he suggests.

Brinjal leans soft, so adding crunchy elements such as almonds and pomegranate seeds help.

Consider textural contrast. Brinjal leans soft, so add crunchy elements to the mix, including almonds, walnuts and pomegranate seeds. Welcome to team baingan!