To be fair, I wasn’t a fan of eggplants until I moved to Turkey. Turkish recipes for aubergine are ridiculously good ranging from cold appetizers to mince stuffed eggplants – it’s unbelievably good. After moving to Turkey, I started appreciating aubergines more and even though this recipe is not originally Turkish, it has quickly become my favorite way to have eggplants.
Dahi baingan (or eggplants with yogurt) is a popular dish in South Asia. But, every recipe I checked out seems to use a different method.
I learnt this particular recipe from a friend and have since tweaked it to suit my liking.
What makes this Dahi Baingan recipe so incredible?
I’m glad you asked. I like to make sure this recipe is packed with flavors, so:
- I use garlic yogurt instead of plain yogurt
- I like layering this recipe instead of mixing it together to allow each flavor profile to stand out
Let’s talk about spice levels!
This recipe is quite versatile this way. You can make it as spicy as you’d like or completely leave out anything to do with chilies. Because it uses other herbs and ingredients such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, and of course garlic and ginger, it already packs a flavorful punch.
If you don’t have a high spice tolerance, adjust the spice levels to your liking.
What can I eat Dahi Baingan with?
It is exactly because of how delicious and versatile this recipe is, you can pair with anything you like.
I have made this dish as a side or appetizer a lot of times. But if you want to have it as a main, I have still found that works well with anything.
My personal foods to pair with Dahi Baingan are as follows (in order of preference):
- Zeera rice
- Saffron rice
- Brown bread
- Pasta (yes, pasta!)
- White bread
Did I leave anything out? I don’t think so. Just follow your cravings and see where they lead you.
I broke down the recipe into three main portions to make it easier to follow. Happy cooking!
Dahi Baingan – Eggplant with Yogurt
2
servings30
minutes25
minutesKeep your device screen on
Ingredients
- For the eggplants
250-300g eggplants (roughly 1-2)
salt
vegetable oil to fry
- For the sauce
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic paste (or 2 minced garlic cloves)
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 tomatoes or 3 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili flakes
1/3 tsp garam masala (optional)
salt to taste
- For the yogurt
400g yogurt (or 2 cups)
2 tsp garlic paste (or 4 minced garlic cloves)
salt to taste
- For garnishing (optional)
fresh coriander leaves or parsley
spring onions
toasted sesame seeds
green chilies
Directions
- For the eggplants
- Start by slicing your eggplants into slices of medium thickness (a little less than 1cm wide).
- In a bowl, toss your sliced eggplants with salt and set aside. This draws out the moisture in the eggplants and adds to the flavor.
- While the eggplants rest, start on your sauce.
- Once the eggplants release their moisture (15 mins or so), pat them dry using a kitchen napkin.
- Now, shallow fry in a single layer (do not stack them or they won’t cook through and will turn soggy).
- Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the slices are golden on both sides and fully cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
- For the sauce
- In a pan, add the oil and allow it to heat up.
- If you’re using fresh tomatoes, dice them finely. If you’re using tomato paste, skip this step.
- When the oil is hot, add in the cumin, garlic and ginger. Toss around for 20-30 seconds until they turn aromatic.
- Now add in your fresh tomatoes/tomato paste. If you’re using tomato paste, add half a cup of water to allow everything to mix together smoothly without clumping.
- Allow the sauce to cook for 3-5 minutes, before adding in all of your spices. Adding garam masala definitely improves the flavor but if you don’t have it on hand, it’s alright.
- Cook the sauce until the oil separates and collects around the edges.
- Remove from the heat and set your sauce aside.
- For the yogurt
- In a large bowl, add your yogurt, salt and garlic paste.
- Whisk thoroughly until no clumps remain and you have a smooth yogurt base.
- Assembly
- Now, take your serving dish and begin assembling your dahi baingan.
- Start with a layer of yogurt, followed by a single layer of eggplants, and then finally top it off with some sauce.
- Repeat the previous step, in the same order – yogurt, eggplants, sauce – until you have used up everything.
- Garnish with any ingredient of your choice. I love adding spring onions, coriander leaves, and toasted sesame seeds.
