Oro as we call it in Gujrati or Baingan Bharta commonly known in North India is a fire roasted twice-cooked eggplant curry of India’s version of Baba Ganoush.  If the Baba Ganoush is the “flirtatious/pampered papa” then the Oro is the smoky, sassy, spicy, fire roasted twice-cooked eggplant Mama of a curry.

Oro/ Baingan Bharta – traditionally, eggplant grilled over an open flame, the silken eggplant bharta/pulp is then mashed and cooked with lots of garlic, tomatoes, onions and spices.  

Oro at my house was always served with yoghurt, salty chaas/lassi and Bajra na rotla (Millet flatbread) with lots of ghee.   

Here is to the memory of warm African summers, open flame cooking, full bellies and warm breezy afternoon naps on softly, creaking swings.

Ingredients

For Roasting:

• 1 Eggplant large (2 Italian eggplants or 1 large American Globe Eggplant)
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• dab of oil for rubbing over the eggplant- totally optional

For the Oro/Bharta:

• 3 tablespoon light olive oil or any flavorless oil
• 1/2 teaspoon hing/asafetida  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 garlic cloves crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger grated
• 3 Thai green chili finely chopped or slit in the middle
• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes finely chopped/blended or 1 cup Tomato Passata
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dhana jeera /cumin & coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Lasan nu March (Garlic Chutney- Optional)
• Garam Masala (Optional- I did not use it)
• Roasted eggplant pulp- -roughly chopped 
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• Chopped cilantro, chopped green chilies , finely sliced scallions and lemon wedges to garnish  

Serving Suggestions: 

• Hot Rotis
• Bajara Rotla (recommended) 
• Plain Paratha
• Mini Pita breads ideal for hors d’oeuvres
• Pita Chips
• Plain Yogurt

Instructions

1. Cut each clove of garlic in half. Make 8 small slits in the eggplant and stuff the slits with the halved garlic cloves. 
   
2. Coat the eggplant with some oil or not, and roast on an open gas flame or grill for 8-10 minutes, turning the eggplant every 1-2 minutes to make sure it’s evenly roasted well on all sides. 
   
3. The skin should blister and char and the eggplant should become really soft. 
   
4. Once the eggplant is roasted, put it in a container and cover it or place it in a large Ziploc bag and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
   
5. Peel or scrape the skin off (I like to leave some charred bits- but you submerge it in water to get rid of any  burnt bits)  then chop the eggplant pulp finely ( I save the tail end and use it but it is normally discarded).
   
6.  Heat oil in a pan and add asafetida and cumin seeds. 
   
7.  After 30 seconds, add onions and cook until translucent, then add garlic -ginger pastes, and chopped chilies and cook for 2-3 minutes.
   
8. Add tomatoes, chili powder, coriander and cumin powders, turmeric and salt.
   
9. Mix well, and cover and cook for around 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce is thick and the oil begins to separate from the tomatoes slightly, add the 1 tablespoon of cilantro.
   
10.  Add the chopped eggplant pulp and mix well. Cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes whilst stirring occasionally (at this point if using – add garam masala and lasan ni chutney). 
    
11.  Garnish with chopped cilantro chopped green chilies , finely sliced scallions and lemon wedges  and serve hot.
    
    
    

Notes

• It’s best to use a large eggplant for this recipe. Hold it in your hand and if it feels light it will have fewer seeds. Pick one with a shiny skin as well.
  
• You can roast the eggplant in the oven, stuff the slits with garlic and rub a little oil all over. Roast at 400F for 30-45 minutes. Then follow instructions from Step 2 in the recipe.
  
• If you don’t get a smoky flavor from oven roasting, you can use a method known as the Dhungar, where you hold a piece of natural charcoal in a flame till it is hot, then place it on a piece of foil inside the pan on top of the curry.  
  
• Drizzle a tiny amount of oil on it, when the charcoal starts to smoke cover the pan with a lid for a minute and let that smoke infuse the curry.