RAG Demo

Tag: Biryani side

  • Bagara Baingan

    Bagara baingan is a Hyderabadi dish from the Nizam's kitchens, served at weddings and dawats alongside biryani and mirchi ka salan. Bagar refers to the tempering, and baingan to the small brinjals that are slit, fried and cooked in a thick sauce of roasted peanuts, sesame and dry coconut, soured with tamarind.

    The gravy is nutty, tangy, slightly sweet and spicy, with a glossy layer of oil on top. The brinjals become soft and creamy, soaking up the gravy. While the base is similar to mirchi ka salan, bagara baingan is richer and thicker. It is eaten with biryani, bagara khana (spiced rice) or roti.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietVegan
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbaby brinjals / peanuts / sesame seeds / dry coconut / tamarind

    Ingredients

    For the masala paste

    • 1/4 cup raw peanuts
    • 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • 3 tbsp dry coconut, grated
    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 large onion, sliced
    • 1 tbsp oil

    For the curry

    • 10 small purple brinjals (about 400 g), slit in a cross from the bottom with stem intact
    • 5 tbsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/4 tsp nigella seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1.5 tsp red chilli powder
    • 3 tbsp thick tamarind pulp
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • 1.25 tsp salt
    • 1.5 cups water
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Dry roast the peanuts until golden, then the sesame until it pops, then the coconut, coriander and cumin until fragrant. In 1 tbsp oil fry the sliced onion for 6-7 minutes until golden brown. Grind everything together with a little water to a smooth paste.
    2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the brinjals on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, turning, until the skin wrinkles and they are about three-quarters cooked. Remove.
    3. Add 2 tbsp more oil to the kadai. Splutter mustard, cumin, nigella and fenugreek seeds, then add curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.
    4. Lower the heat, add turmeric, chilli powder and the ground paste. Fry, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes until the paste darkens and oil separates.
    5. Add tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
    6. Add the fried brinjals, cover and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes until the brinjals are completely tender and the gravy is thick with a layer of oil on top.
    7. Garnish with coriander and rest for 15 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Fry the brinjals until wrinkled first; that way they absorb gravy without falling apart.
    • The gravy should be thick enough to coat the brinjals, not runny.
    • Like most Hyderabadi gravies, it tastes better after a few hours.

    Serve with

    Hyderabadi biryani, bagara rice or chapati.

  • Mirchi ka Salan

    Mirchi ka salan is a Hyderabadi curry of long, mildly hot green chillies cooked in a nutty, sour gravy. It is the traditional accompaniment to biryani, and no Hyderabadi wedding feast serves biryani without it. The gravy, made of roasted peanuts, sesame and dry coconut with tamarind, is closely related to the base used for bagara baingan.

    The salan is thick, tangy and slightly sweet, with a deep nutty flavour from the roasted seeds. The chillies are slit, fried and then simmered so they turn soft and absorb the gravy without losing their shape. It cuts through the richness of biryani, and many people also eat it with plain rice or roti.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsgreen chillies / peanuts / sesame seeds / dry coconut / tamarind

    Ingredients

    For the chillies

    • 250 g long, thick, mild green chillies (bhavnagari or banana peppers)
    • 3 tbsp oil

    For the paste

    • 3 tbsp raw peanuts
    • 2 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • 2 tbsp dry coconut, grated
    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 medium onion, sliced and roasted

    For the gravy

    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/4 tsp nigella seeds (kalonji)
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 3 tbsp thick tamarind pulp
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1.5 cups water

    Method

    1. Wash and dry the chillies. Slit each lengthwise without cutting through, and scrape out some seeds if you want less heat.
    2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a kadai and fry the chillies on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, turning, until blistered in spots. Remove and set aside.
    3. Dry roast the peanuts for 4-5 minutes until golden, then the sesame seeds until they pop, then the coconut until light brown, and finally the coriander and cumin for a minute. Grind with the roasted onion and a little water to a smooth paste.
    4. In the same kadai, add 2 tbsp oil and splutter mustard, cumin, nigella and fenugreek seeds. Add curry leaves and ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.
    5. Add the ground paste, turmeric and chilli powder and fry on low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the paste darkens slightly and oil begins to separate.
    6. Add tamarind pulp, jaggery, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
    7. Add the fried chillies and simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the gravy is thick, oil floats on top, and the chillies are tender.
    8. Rest for 30 minutes before serving; the flavour improves as it sits.

    Tips

    • Choose thick, long chillies with low heat; small spicy ones make it too fierce.
    • Roast each seed separately as they brown at different rates.
    • The salan should be thick and oily on top, not watery.

    Serve with

    Hyderabadi biryani with burani raita, or with bagara rice.