Dahi baigana/Eggplant in yogurt -Odisha's Delicacy

Dahi baigana/Eggplant in yogurt -Odisha's Delicacy

Preparation Time: 20Minutes

Cooking Time: 15Minutes
Total Preparation Time: 35minutes

Dahi baigana (Odia) is an Odia dish prepared from dahi (yogurt) and eggplant/brijal especially during festivals. This dish can be prepared without using onion and garlic when they are not allowed in some auspicious festivals.

Apart from eggplant and yogurt, one may use vegetable oil or ghee, mustard seeds, cumin seeds (jeera), fenugreek seeds (methi), fennel seeds (pan mahuri), dry chilli (sukhila lanka maricha), curry leaves (bhrusanga patra), ginger, green chilli, salt and sugar.

Some variation of Dahi baigana is seen in Kashmiri cuisine as the Kashmiri version adds spice paste and a lot of chilli powder to the dish. Such preparation is somewhat golden rather than being yellowish white.

As usual I have came with my twist in Dahi Baigana/eggplant in yogurt and like to add this is one of my niece (Disha) favorite dish. My sister serve this recipe to make her taste buds lil better when ever she not well and don't want to eat anything. This recipe is dedicated to my sweetheart Dishu...

I prefer this recipe in hot climate and serve with spicy stuff in lunch as we have goodness of curd in it!!

Delicious,Easy, simple version of mine..Hope you all will like it.

Course:Side Dish for main course

Cuisine: East India

Servings:4 Persons

For Dahi Baigana/Eggplant with curd

• Curd-1/2 ltr( Whisked)
• Brinjal/Eggplant 4 nos( whole from bottom of eggplant cut into two slits )
• Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
• Oil for deep frying
• Water 1/2 cup(optional ,need to add to curd if required by seeing your thickness of the curd used)
• Sugar 1 tsp(optional, if required-if curd is sour)
• chat Masala 1tsp
• Salt to taste

For Tempering/chonk

• Cumin 1tbsp
• Mustard 1tsp
• Dry red chillies-3-4 Whole
• Ginger 1 inch( crushed)
• Garlic 10 pods(crushed)
• Green chilli 2 nos(crushed)
• Curry Leaves-10 to 12 leaves
• Vegetable Oil 3tbsp
• Roasted cumin and dry chilli powder-1 tbsp
• Corriander leaves for garnishing

Procedure of Dahi Baigana/eggplant with curd

• Place your frying pan ,add oil and let it heat
• Slit the brinjal/eggplant add 1 teaspoon salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder 
• Rub on and inside the cut of the brinjal/eggplant the and keep it aside atleast for 15 minutes.
• Mean time, lets prepare the dahi/curd
• Mix water(1/2 cup) in curd and whisk it nicely. 
• The consitency sholud be thick and creamy(not too runny)
• Now add sugar,chat masala and salt
• Keep it aside
• Now then cook brinjal/eggplant in hot oil.
• Repeat the same with other batches
•  Then transferred to thick beaten, flavoured and creamy curd.
• Now for tempering ,take a pan
• Now add oil, once the oil is heated
• Add cumin, mustard and whole dry chilli
• Let it splutter
• Now add crushed ginger,garlic and green chilli
• Add curry leaves and satute for while(dont burn it)
• Now transefer the chonk/put it in the ready dahi baigana/eggplant curd mix
• Now mix it
• Now sprinkle roasted cumuin and dry chilli powder
• The vadas are soaked for a period of time before serving.
• And topped with coriander  leaves, chili powder, crushed black pepper, chaat masala.
• Ready to serve!!!

Thank you all for showing your interest in my blog!!!

Will be back soon with a more authentic recipes of Odisha with my twist!!!