Doi begun or Bengali aubergine in yoghurt curry is a classic! This is a recipe that needs most basic ingredients and turns them into a fantastic dish!
Doi begun or Bengali aubergine in yoghurt curry is a classic! This is a recipe that needs most basic ingredients and turns them into a fantastic dish. Traditionally, in a doi begun (yoghurt is doi and aubergine is begun), fried pieces of the egg plant are cooked in a spiced yoghurt sauce. But I have made a healthy change to the traditional recipe. I have baked/roasted the aubergine slices instead of frying them. The reason I have done this is, begun generally sucks in a lot of oil when fried, which it again releases back too. So, to avoid making my curry greasy I have roasted them. However, I have kept all the deliciousness intact! Nonetheless, if you’d like to fry them, you could do that too. The rest of the recipe will remain unchanged.
Bengalis love their aubergines. We have so many recipes with it that the cuisine without them feels incomplete. From fried aubergine (begun bhaja) to using them with leafy greens (ghonto) and even fish curries. There can be a separate segment I think, in the Bengali cuisine itself, with begun. And this works out great for me as I love them. I know a lot of people don’t really enjoy this vegetable, but do try making this curry for them. I am sure they will want to reconsider their choice. 😉
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Bharli vangi (stuffed aubergine curry)
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Doi begun
Similar to a lot of Bengali vegetarian recipes, this one too is niraamish. By that I mean, it is devoid of onions and garlic. While this may be a surprise to many, but most vegetarian fares in our cuisine is made this way. And it still tastes lip smacking goo. So much so that, if you don’t know you wouldn’t be able to tell! The doi begun (Bengali aubergine in yoghurt curry) is niraamish and also extremely quick and easy to make. A simple tempering of nigella seeds in mustard oil along with spiced and whisked yoghurt do the magic!The heat in this recipe comes from the fresh chilis that I’ve used. And since I like my doi begun jhal or hot, I’ve added 3-4 of them. But you may lessen the number or completely not use them, as per your taste.
This is a recipe that I’ve picked up from my thakurma or paternal grandmother. And even though I have followed her exact recipe and the same ingredients, it still doesn’t taste like hers! While I will still try practicing, I hope you make this soon too!
The doi begun tastes great with steamed rice, parathas and even pooris. It a great side dish that come together very easily and quickly too. Do make it and let me know how it turned out for you. You could share your pictures and feedback with me on Instagram too.
Eat hearty!
Doi begun (Bengali aubergine in yoghurt curry)
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot with lid
Ingredients
- 2 medium aubergine (begun) around 500g
- 1 cup yoghurt (doi) whisked
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 2-3 fresh green chilis slit
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp nigella seeds kalonji/kalo jeere
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 dried red chili
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash well, pat dry the aubergines. Cut them lengthwise, in quarters and rub the salt, chili powder and half the turmeric on them
- Line them in a parchment lined baking tray and spray some cooking oil. Bake in a pre-heated oven, for 15-17 minutes or until cooked through, at 180°C. When done, remove and set aside
- In a cooking pan, add the mustard oil let it smoke. Reduce the flame and add the nigella seeds, bay leaf, red chilli and the ginger
- Once they are well roasted, lower the flame, add the whisked yoghurt, turmeric, coriander powder, chilis and salt. Stir through immediately and continuously
- When the oil separates add ¼ cup hot water and the roasted aubergines. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes
- Once the aubergines absorb some curry, turn the flame off. Add the garam masala and the chopped coriander leaves. Keep covered for 5 minutes before serving
- Serve the delicious doi begun (Bengali aubergine in yoghurt curry) fresh and hot with some steamed rice. Enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of baking, you can even deep fry the aubergine slices until cookedÂ
- If your yoghurt is too tart, add some sugar to the sauce while cooking, balance it out
- The doi begun tastes great with the winter produce of aubergines
- This curry also pairs well with parathas and pooris
- Â g - grams
- tsp - teaspoon
- tbsp - tablespoon
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
