Alright, folks, gather ’round! Today, I’m gonna share my little adventure making Konkani Brinjal Bharata. I’d seen this dish pop up in a few places online, and it looked too good to pass up. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of eggplants, so I figured, why not give it a whirl?
First things first, I grabbed some fresh brinjals from the market. Nice, plump ones, you know? Then, I started by washing them and chopping them up. I put the chopped brinjals into a pot, added a little bit of water, and let them cook until they turned all soft and mushy. It’s important that the water should be absorbed, too. Made sure all the water was gone, just like the recipes said.
Next up, I mashed those cooked brinjals. I used a potato masher, but I guess you could use whatever you have on hand. Got them all nice and smooth.
Now, this is where the Konkani part comes in, I think. From what I gathered, this dish is all about the smoky flavor. I didn’t have a grill, so I roasted the eggplant pieces directly on my gas stove. Turned them around every few minutes to get that char on all sides. Honestly, this was the most fun part.
Making the Coconut Paste
- Grind: After roasting, I let the eggplants cool down a bit, peeled off the skin, and added them to my blender along with some grated coconut, green chilies, and a bit of tamarind paste. I saw some folks online adding raw coconut paste, so I went with that.
- Blend: Whizzed it all up until it became a coarse paste. You don’t want it too smooth, gotta have some texture, right?
After that, it was just a matter of sautéing some onions and mixing everything together. I heated up some oil in a pan, tossed in the chopped onions, and cooked them until they were golden brown. Then, I added the mashed brinjal and the coconut paste. Gave it all a good stir, added some salt and spices. I used a bit of chili powder, turmeric, and some garam masala, ’cause that’s what I had.
I let it all simmer for a few minutes, just to let the flavors meld together. And that was it! My very own homemade Konkani Brinjal Bharata. It smelled amazing, all smoky and spicy. I served it up with some rice, and it was a hit! The smoky flavor of the eggplant really came through, and the coconut paste added a nice richness.
It wasn’t too hard to make, and it was definitely a tasty experience. If you’re looking to try something new, give this Konkani Brinjal Bharata a shot. You might just surprise yourself!
