Aloo Baingan
Aloo Baingan is a Pakistani & North Indian-style vegan curry made with potatoes (aloo) and eggplant (baingan or brinjal). Though not as glamorous as Baingan Bharta, Aloo Baingan can be just as exciting when made well. Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Plus, get recipes & tips every week! The secret to next-level Aloo Baingan is to pan-sear the eggplant before adding it to the curry. Pan-searing the eggplant elevates the flavor while giving it better texture. That said, you can choose to skip this step if you’re in a hurry. I’ve made this plenty of times without pan-frying and it’s still delicious and perfectly balanced in flavor.
Aloo Baingan Ingredients
This Aloo Baingan recipe requires simple ingredients commonly used in South Asian cooking. Here are a few things to note:
Eggplant: Choose a small to medium globe variety eggplant. If you’d like, you can also use other varieties of eggplant and adjust the cook time. Indian eggplants (also called baby eggplants) take longer to cook than globe eggplants. Japanese eggplants (the long, slender one) can work here with the same cook time. Spices: This recipe uses familiar spices such as coriander powder, cumin, red chili, turmeric, and black pepper. At the end, we finish off with garam masala or chaat masala for a tangy/chatpata kick. Garlic & ginger: You can either use a food processor to finely chop the garlic & ginger or crush them using a mortar and pestle. Green chili pepper: Use a small Thai chili pepper or half of a Serrano for a medium-spicy curry. You can increase or decrease this amount to adjust heat. Potatoes: I use russet potatoes in this recipe. If you use a different type of potato (such as red potato), you may need to increase cooking time. (For more recipes with potatoes, check out my 10 Pakistani and Indian Aloo (Potato) Recipes.)
How To Make Aloo Baingan
Here’s how to make it in 3 simple steps:
Step 1: Pan-Fry the Eggplant
Pan-fry the eggplant in a skillet for 3 minutes on each side, or until you get a nice char to it. (Remember, more browning = more flavor.) You don’t need to fully cook here as it’ll finish off cooking with the potatoes in the curry. If you skip this step, simply place the chopped eggplant in a bowl of water and proceed with the recipe. This helps prevent the eggplant from browning.
Step 2: Make the Base of the Curry
Sautéing patiently is key here. Make sure the onions are nice and golden before adding the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes until they disintegrate into the curry and oil starts to separate from them. At any point if the masala starts sticking to the bottom, add a splash of water to deglaze the pan. This process gives this curry so much depth. (Trust me, I’ve tried skimping on this and it’s just not the same.)
Step 3: Cook the Potatoes and Eggplant in the Curry
Once you’ve made the base (or masala), add in the potatoes & eggplant and cook until the vegetables are tender. Garnish & serve!
How long to Cook Eggplant in Aloo Baingan
Because of its high water content, I find eggplant is best slightly mushy or disintegrated into a curry (just like zucchini). Otherwise, the eggplant oozes out too much water in the finished curry. I know some people would prefer it more in tact, which is why I thought this quick table would help.
How to make this Aloo Baingan in an Instant Pot
I’ve tested this recipe several times in the Instant Pot and I’ve found the results are better over the stovetop. Here’s why: As I mentioned earlier, the eggplant contains lots of water, which is all contained in the Instant Pot. After you pressure cook it, you’ll be left with plenty of water that you’ll have to sauté out. This makes for excessively mushy eggplant. If you’re okay with that, here’s how you’ll make it in the IP: For more tips on cooking with the Instant Pot, check out my guide on How To Use The Instant Pot For Indian And Pakistani Cooking. If you are in search of more Pakistani Instant Pot recipes, take a look at my collection of 15+ Pakistani Instant Pot Recipes.
Tips For Making Aloo Baingan
The masala will initially taste salty, but potatoes and eggplant can take plenty of salt. You’ll find it’ll balance out toward the end. If you find it’s a tad too salty, add a bit of plain, whole-milk yogurt. Variations: Add 1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajwain) while pan-frying the eggplant to give it extra flavor. Pan-fry the potatoes before adding them to the curry (just like the eggplant).
What To Serve With Aloo Baingan
Since this is a somewhat ‘dry’ curry without much curry/salan, I find it goes best with any type of bread such as roti, naan, or paratha. That said, it’s also quite enjoyable with basmati rice. Plain, whole-milk yogurt or raita offers a cooling contrast to eggplant curries. If you are looking to pair Aloo Baingan with a protein, it would go great with Keema Matar along with either naan or rice.
More Aloo (Potato) Recipes You’ll Love
Aloo Palak (Spinach & Potato Curry) Keema Aloo (Ground Beef & Potato Curry) Aloo Anday Bhurji (Scrambled Egg & Potato Curry) Mixed Vegetable Curry (Aloo Matar Gajar) Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower & Potato Curry)
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
