Eggplant slices marinated in turmeric and chili, then shallow-fried until soft and charred. A simple everyday Bengali side dish eaten with rice and dal.
Begun bhaja is the simplest Bengali side dish, eggplant slices dusted with turmeric and chili powder and shallow-fried in mustard oil until the flesh collapses and the skin chars. It is everyday home food, eaten with rice and dal at lunch across Bangladesh, and it requires nothing more than a good eggplant, mustard oil, turmeric and salt. The Bengali preference is for small, tender eggplants with few seeds; large ones are bitter and seedy. The frying in mustard oil (not any other oil) is what gives the dish its characteristic sharp aroma. Begun bhaja is also served as part of a larger Bengali thali-style spread, alongside fish curry, bhaji and dal.
Soft, charred eggplant with a smoky flavour from the charred skin, the mustard oil sharp and aromatic, the turmeric earthy. Each slice collapses in the mouth, sweet and oily.
The technique is a simple shallow fry. Eggplants are cut into 1cm slices or halves, scored, dusted with turmeric, chili powder and salt, and shallow-fried in mustard oil in a heavy pan over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the flesh is completely soft and the skin is charred and blistered. A lid may be placed briefly to help the flesh cook through. The eggplant must be fresh; old eggplant is bitter. The mustard oil gives a sharp, slightly bitter aroma that is the dish's signature; any other oil changes the character entirely.
Variations
Some add a stuffing of poppy seed paste before frying. A version with a batter coating is crispier.
On the Palate
Where Begun Bhaja Bengali sits in the Bangladeshi flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
4 steps · 10 min
- 14 min
Cut 2 medium eggplants into 1cm slices; score the flesh; dust with 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder and salt.
- 23 min
Heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy pan over medium heat.
- 36 min
Fry the eggplant slices 4 to 5 minutes per side until the flesh is soft and the skin charred.
Watch outFry over medium until the flesh is fully soft and the skin blistered and charred — rush it on high heat and the outside burns while the inside stays raw and spongy.
- 43 min
Drain briefly; serve hot with rice and dal.
