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Kashmiri Baingan Aloo – Indian Eggplant and Potatoes is an easy recipe that’s full of flavor. Eggplant recipes are very common in Kashmiri cuisine. Some of our favorite eggplant recipes are Apple Eggplant Curry – Instant Pot Kashmiri Baingan , Kashmiri Tomato Eggplant Curry – Tamatar Wangun , Kashmiri Tamarind Eggplant – Instant Pot Kashmiri Baingan and several others.
About Kashmiri Baingan Aloo – Indian Eggplant and Potatoes
Eggplants are known as Wangun in Kashmiri and potatoes are known as Ollav. So traditionally this recipe is known as Wangun Ollav.
Eggplant types – Indian eggplants. Purple and spherical, Indian eggplants – also known as baby eggplants – can be found in Indian grocery stores. They are small with a dark reddish-purple color.
Potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes work best for this recipe.
This Kashmiri recipe is easy, simple and full of flavor. It’s such a great addition to a dinner table.
Method –
First, rinse the eggplants by running them under cold water and wiping dry with a paper towel. In Kashmiri recipes, you don’t slice off the top of the eggplant. You keep the stem intact. Cut the eggplant body in half lengthwise/vertically. Further, cut each eggplant to two more half’s. So each eggplant will have 4 pieces. 8 pieces in all for 2 eggplants.
Second, rinse and peel the potatoes and chop them to 3 to 4 inch cubes. For this recipe, traditionally both the egg plants and potatoes need to be deep fried. However, you can shallow fry, air fry them or sauté them until the eggplants are slight cooked and firm and the potatoes are cooked as well. Make sure they are not mushy and their shape is still intact. I have deep fried them here since I made it traditionally. Once fried set them aside.
Then in a heavy bottom pot on medium heat add oil. Further add in cloves, whole dried red chili, black cardamom pod and cumin seeds. Further when the cumin seeds splutter, add in Kashmiri red chili powder in the oil and stir well. Then after about 15 seconds add in 1/2 cup water. This step is key to prevent the red chili from burning. Further add in the potatoes, and stir. Further add in ground turmeric, ground ginger, ground fennel powder and salt, and stir well. Finally add in 2 cups water. Mix well and let the water come to boil. Once the water boils add in egg plants and let the potatoes and eggplants soak in some spices for about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat. Don’t overcook as they will get mushy.
Finally transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with white rice.
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Moreover, try some of our other recipes. Also try some of our Instant Pot recipes.
Kashmiri Tomato Eggplant Curry – Tamatar Wangun
Kashmiri Haak Aloo – Instant Pot Kale and Potato Curry
Swiss Chard Curry – Instant Pot Kashmiri Haak
Kashmiri Baingan Aloo – Indian Eggplant and Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 deep pot
Ingredients
- 3 yukon gold potatoes (611 grams), small (3 and 1/4 cups chopped)
- 2 eggplants, small (Indian eggplants) (chopped to 4 pieces each)
- 3 tbsp oil of choice
- 2 whole cloves (laung)
- 1 whole, dried red chili
- 1 whole black cardamom pods (kali elaichi)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
- 2 and 1/2 cups water (divided)
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tsp ground ginger (sonth)
- 2 tbsp ground fennel (saunf powder)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 green chillies, whole (optional), to top off
Instructions
- Rinse the eggplants by running them under cold water and wiping dry with a paper towel. In Kashmiri recipes, you don’t slice off the top of the eggplant. You keep the stem intact. Cut the eggplant body in half lengthwise/vertically. Further, cut each eggplant to two more half’s. So each eggplant will have 4 pieces. 8 pieces in all for 2 eggplants.
- Rinse and peel the potatoes and chop them to 3 to 4 inch cubes. For this recipe, traditionally both the egg plants and potatoes need to be deep fried. However, you can shallow fry, air fry them or sauté them until the eggplants are slight cooked and firm and the potatoes are cooked as well. Make sure they are not mushy and their shape is still intact. I have deep fried them here since I made it traditionally. Once fried set them aside.
Cook
- Then in a heavy bottom pot on medium heat add oil. Further add in cloves, whole dried red chili, black cardamom pod, and cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds splutter add in Kashmiri red chili powder in the oil and stir well. Then after about 15 seconds add in 1/2 cup water. This step is key to prevent the red chili from burning.
- Further add in the potatoes, and stir. Add in ground turmeric, ground ginger, ground fennel powder, ground cumin, and salt, and stir well. Finally add in 2 cups remaning water. Mix well and let the water come to boil. Once the water boils add in egg plants and let the potatoes and eggplants soak in some spices for about 2 to 3 minutes. Top off with green chillies. Turn off heat..don't overcook as they will get mushy.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with white rice.
