Doi Begun/ Eggplant in yogurt sauce

To tell you honestly, I did not grow up eating doi begun. This is something, my mother never cooked at home. One day, me and my husband were sitting down in our living room when he told me that in his hostel days, they were often served Doi begun. He and his friend used to often ask the mess manager for an extra serving. He loved it so much.

Why don’t you prepare doi begun one day? said my husband

How will I? I never tasted it…

He sat upset on the couch. Immediately Facebook came in rescue. I knew a friend of him during his hostel days who is an excellent cook and a huge foodie. I texted him on messenger wanting to know the recipe. He being almost an expert told me more or less how to cook it.

I was very skeptical about making it but thought of giving it a try. I actually experiment a lot in the kitchen. So, I tried it out and to my surprise it came out delicious. It was then that I decided to put it up on my blog.

Here comes the recipe. Try this at home and I am sure you will also love it.

Step by step instructions to prepare Doi Begun

Cut the eggplant longitudinally into about 8 pieces depending on it’s size. Sprinkle salt and turmeric powder on the eggplants and keep them aside.

In a kadai, add about 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it. Once, the oil is hot, gently drop the salt and turmeric coated eggplants into the oil and lightly brown them. You need not fry them. Keep them aside.

Frying of eggplant mostly dirties the kadai. So clean the kadai and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Temper the hot oil with the cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Now, add the thinly sliced onions to the hot oil and lightly saute them. They should turn translucent. Do not brown them.

Then, add tomato puree, green chilies, grated ginger and garlic and saute them for 1 minute.

Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and red chili powder to the kadai along with a splash of water.

Continue cooking them on medium flame till you see oil leaving the sides of the pan.

Add about 1/4 cup of water followed by the eggplants.

Cover and cook the eggplant till the eggplant is completely done but should however hold it’s shape.

If you think that the eggplants are already done, and you have water in the kadai, then gently take out the eggplants and keep them aside. Now, cook on medium flame till you see oil floating on top. Spread this masala over the eggplants.

Take the yogurt in a bowl. Season it with salt and keep aside. In another pan, take about 1/2 tablespoon of oil and heat it.

Temper the oil with whole red chilies. As you start getting aroma of the red chili add this tempered oil to the yogurt mixture and whisk the mixture.

Spread few tablespoons of this yogurt on the eggplant masala. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Thank you for stopping by. If you like the recipe do not forget to hit like. If you prepare this dish and publish your photos on Facebook and Instagram do tag #theepicureanfeast. Also for queries, you can mail me epicureanfeast2019@gmail.com