Despite the diverse choices a restaurant's menu can offer, my dine-in habit is to usually order the last dish I loved or oftentimes my favorite dish. But one night while I was craving for Indian food, I sat on Ashoka Healthy Indian Cuisine and saw probably a basic dish that I haven't ordered before: Baingan Bharta, which promises a dish of mashed eggplant cooked with spiced tomatos and nuts.

Baingan bharta from Ashoka

Sounds promising and delicious so I ordered it with chapathi. After I emptied the plate with my flat bread, I have decided that yes, this is my new favorite dish.

I can probably order that dish again and again (in fact, I ate out thrice in Ashoka and ordered that dish) but the fact is that I'm not rich, so I just tried to make this at home.

With an eggplant, crushed tomatoes, cashews, and Indian spices bought from an Indian grocery in Alabang, I proceeded to make my own version of Baingan Bharta with the help of some recipes online.

Ingredients

1. 1 or 2 eggplants (any size that you'd like)
2. 1 can crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes (preferrably lesser than the eggplants you have)
3. 1-2 tsp cumin seeds 
4. 1-2 tsp Garam masala powder (to taste)
5. Large green bell pepper, chopped
6. Onions, chopped
7. Dried chili flakes (not required)

Method

The appearance of the dish sans the garam masala

1. Grill eggplants until the skin has become scorched until it's black. I grill mine on the stove. 
2. Once burnt black, wash it with water and remove the skin. 
3. Mash the eggplant and set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Toast until fragrant. You may also add chopped onions here. I did not add some in mine.
5. Add the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, cook until it's soft and mash it a bit. 
6. Add the bell peppers.
7. Add the mashed eggplant and cook for a bit.
8. Add salt and garam masala to taste. The garam masala already adds the spice to the dish so it's your choice to add dried chili flakes if you need to add extra heat.
9. Remove from heat and add cashews.

Proudly homemade!

Your baingan bharta is ready! Eat it with bread, roti, chapathi, or even rice.