Dinner · Raat jo Khado
Vanghar jo Bharto
Smoked aubergine mash
A traditional Thathai Bhatia bharto (roasted-and-mashed vegetable) of fire- or tawa-roasted aubergine (vanghar), peeled and cooked down with optional tomatoes, green chillies and ginger, and finished with melted ghee. Smoky, soft and comforting, and lighter and less masala-heavy than North Indian baingan bharta, so the aubergine stays the star.
Ingredients
Make
Main ingredients
For cooking & seasoning
For garnish
Method
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Roast the brinjals. Wash them thoroughly. Heat a tawa (flat griddle) on a medium flame and add 1 tbsp of the oil. Roast the brinjals until the skin is lightly charred and the flesh is soft and tender. For a deeper smoky flavour, roast them directly over an open flame or in an oven instead.
Peel and prepare. Put the roasted brinjals in a thali (large plate) of water and peel off the skin. Remove the stems and set the softened flesh aside. Wash and finely chop the tomatoes.
Make the masala base. Heat the remaining oil over a low-to-medium flame. Add the asafoetida and let it temper. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté gently until soft and pulpy.
Cook the bharto. Add the roasted aubergine flesh, chopped green chillies, turmeric and salt. While cooking, mash gently so the tomatoes and aubergine become a coarse, soft mixture. Add the coriander powder, raw mango powder and finely chopped ginger. Mix well and simmer a few more minutes until the flavours are absorbed.
Finish. Just before serving, drizzle the melted ghee over the bharto, garnish with finely chopped coriander and serve hot.
My notes
Your family’s way with this recipe, or a reminder for next time. Kept on this phone or computer, and shown in cook mode.
Tips and variations
Roasting the brinjals directly over an open flame before peeling gives more smokiness; crushed garlic added while sautéing the tomatoes gives a North Indian-style version.
Classic Tomato-Free Bharto
Leave out the tomatoes so the smoky aubergine flavour leads.
Spicy Bharto
Add more green chillies or red chilli powder.
Methi Bharto
Add chopped fenugreek leaves at the final stage of cooking for an earthy bitterness.
Bharto with Potatoes
Mix in small cubes of boiled potato for a heartier dish.
Smoky Charcoal Bharto
Set a bowl holding a piece of hot charcoal inside the cooked bharto, add a few drops of ghee, cover briefly and let the smoke infuse.
North Indian-Inspired
Add onions, garlic and a pinch of garam masala while keeping the smoky base.
Serve with
Traditionally eaten hot with phulko. Also pairs with parathas, simple khichdi, or a traditional Bhatia lunch spread.A comfort food for cool evenings.
Recipes mentioned here
Nutrition
EstimatedPer serving
180 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrate
- 16 g
- Fat
- 13 g
The recipe serves 3–4.
Whole recipe
640 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrate
- 57 g
- Fat
- 46 g
Everything in the ingredients list.
These are estimates, worked out from the amounts in the recipe and typical values for each ingredient. Portion sizes and the exact amount of oil, ghee or sugar can change them a lot. How we estimate
Good to know
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days; reheat gently on a low flame with a spoonful of water if dry; the aubergine can be roasted, peeled and mashed a day ahead; flavour often deepens after resting; do not freeze (the texture turns watery on thawing); add fresh coriander and ghee just before serving.
About this dishHealth notes, Cultural note, Did you know?
Health notes
Aubergine is low in calories and high in fibre (supports digestion and fullness); its skin contains nasunin, an antioxidant; tomatoes give vitamin C, potassium and lycopene; ginger and green chillies aid digestion and add warmth; roasting rather than frying keeps the dish light; the modest oil and ghee add flavour and help absorb fat-soluble nutrients.
Cultural note
Bharto-style dishes come from Sindhi and Bhatia kitchens, where open-flame roasting was practical and flavourful; it was comfort food, often made on cool evenings with phulkos served straight from the tava; it reflects the Bhatia approach of deep flavour from few ingredients and gentle spicing.
Did you know?
The smoky taste comes from a technique that predates modern kitchens (roasting over wood or charcoal); aubergine turns creamy when roasted and mashed, with no dairy or thickener; roasted-aubergine dishes appear across the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, each with its own seasoning.
Where this recipe comes from
Recipe from Panja Khada by Bharat and Deepa Chachara.
See the original recipe and photos