Baingan Ki Kachri / Tawa Fry Baingan / Egglant Fritter

Baingan ki Kachri is a pan fried or shallow fried marinated slices of eggplant in a spice mix. This is an age old recipe of my mom and I am having this since my childhood and simply love it. It is an amber-colored crust which is crunchy on the outside, while remaining soft and mushy inside.

To make the Kachri you will need a large variety of Egglant, the one we use for Baingan Bharta since it is likely to contain far fewer seeds.

The recipe is incredibly simple, so this will definitely be your one of the loved recipes during the times when you don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen or whenever you are short of time. This tastes incredible too.

INGREDIENTS

1 Large Eggplant/Baingan
Mustard Oil for Frying

For Spice Mix

Jeera Powder 1 tsp
Coriander Powder 1 tsp
Aamchoor Powder 1 ½ tsp
Red Chilli Powder ½ tsp
Whole Wheat Flour 3 tbsp
Rice Flour 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp

METHOD

• Rinse the eggplant (baingan) well in water and pat dry with kitchen towel.
• Slice the eggplant in ½ inch thick discs.
• In a mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the spice mix.
• Coat the eggplant slices with the spice mix.
• Cover and let them rest for 15-20 minutes. The salt in the spice mix will draw out the water from the eggplant slices and soften them up. This will help the flavors to blend together nicely.
• Heat mustard oil in a skillet till it starts smoking lightly.
• In the meanwhile, coat the eggplant again with the remaining spice mix.
• Now pan fry the eggplant slices on medium low heat for about 3 minutes on each side till they are golden brown on both sides. Do not increase the heat at any point; we want the eggplant slices to cook from the inside while having a nice crispy crust on the outside.
• Once done, lift the baingan ki kachri from the pan and serve hot with roti/bread.

We had the Baingan Ki Kachri with a bowl of Dhaba style cooked Chana Dal and Roti. For Dhaba Style Chana Dal recipe, click here.

RECIPE NOTES

• Baingan absorbs oil while cooking, so it is best to add the flours in the spice mix. If you don’t have rice flour, you may skip it.
• The baingan slices can be cut a little thicker too but then they will take more time to cook.
• I have used mustard oil for frying; you may use any other vegetable oil. But do try the mustard oil once, as it gives a distinct flavor to the eggplant.