I think of my paternal grandmother/dadi, Mommy often. And while I will write a longer post about her life and influence, I do want to share the recipe for this handy four-ingredient side that I would often enjoy at her home for dinner.
Dahi baingan would would fall under the category of borani, an Iranian yogurt-based appetizer that is found in Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey as well as the Caucasus.
It was probably one of the first Pakistani dishes that I learned to cook in the States largely because of how easy it was. While it is ordinarily had as an appetizer or side (a wonderful accompaniment to pulao), I often eat is as a main with naan/roti. I have also dressed salads with it and it’s worked out really well.
While there are many, many variations to dahi baingan (personally very excited to test out this Saveur recipe), this is the version that I grew up with. If it was prepared differently at your home, I would love to learn more and test it out.
Dahi Baingan
Ingredients:
Preparation:
- Heat a saucepan. Add oil. Once it begins to shimmer, add slices of eggplant in batches. Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Fry each side till it’s golden brown. The exact time will depend on your pan. I was using a non-stick pan, and it each side was taking about 1 ½ – 2 minutes.
- Place fried eggplant on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Meanwhile, get the yogurt ready. Whip the yogurt till it has an even consistency. Add salt to taste.
- Gently fold the fried eggplant into the yogurt.
- Dust off with red chili powder.
Cooking Notes
*Eggplants suck up a lot of oil in this recipe. I use ¼ cup of oil to start and add more as needed.
Eggplant
Eggplant
Eggplant