Easy Instant Pot Baingan Bharta – Indian Spiced Mashed Eggplant. 1 Pot 30 Min. Serve as dip with flatbread or with curries or Dals. Add chickpeas to make a meal Vegan Glutenfree Nutfree Soyfree Recipe Stovetop option Jump to Recipe
Baingan Bharta translates to eggplant mash. The traditional bharta is a long process, Large eggplants are roasted over a flame or grill to char the skin. The skin is them removed and the partially cooked eggplant is mashed. Then added to a spiced onion tomato base and cooked to roast the eggplant with the spices and base.
In this instant pot version, cubed Eggplant gets pressure cooked with the onion tomato base, then mashed and cooked a bit to roast. Pressure cooking reduces the steps and also uses less bowls, vessels! I add some smoked paprika that adds a fresh smoked flavor that is generally there in this dish if the eggplant was charred and cookes. Some liquid smoke will do that too, although I find that a bit too strong.
This spiced eggplant mash also makes a great dip with some hot pita bread. Add some chickpeas to make this into a meal or serve with a side of chickpea curry or dals.
This bharta is 1 Pot, needs just 15 mins active time, is Easy and Delicious!
More Instant Pot Recipes (all have Saucepan Instructions too!)
- IP Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce GF
- Instant Pot Vegan Butter Chickin(soycurls). GF – Creamy, Delicious
- Japanese Veggie Curry. GF
- IP Lentil Chili. GF
- IP Mushroom Wild Rice Soup. GF
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup with Red lentils. – So Easy
- IP Potato Chickpea Soup. GF
Tips to get the charred/roasted flavor
- Finish with fresh Smoked Paprika or some liquid smoke
- Char the eggplant skin on the high flame just lightly, then peel and cube and proceed to cook.
- Char the flatbread! Yes, char the roti or flatbread you are serving with so that it has black spots or burnt edges. Together the meal will have a roasted flavor. 🙂
Instant Pot Baingan Bharta Recipe - Spiced Mashed Eggplant. 1 Pot 30 min Serve as dip with flatbread or with curries or Dals. Vegan Glutenfree Nutfree Soyfree Recipe
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3/4 cup onion (chopped)
- 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
- 5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 hot green chilli (such as serrano - finely chopped)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 large tomato (diced)
- 1 large eggplant (peeled and cubed into small about half an inch cubes)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup peas
- 1/4 cup cilantro
Set your instant pot to sauté, once it has heated up, add oil. Let the oil heat up and add the cumin seeds. Cook for half a minute. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, green chili and a good pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes.
Add all the ground spices and mix well. Then add the tomato and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Mash the larger pieces of tomato and deglaze with a tbsp of water if needed.
Once the tomato is tender, add the eggplant, salt, water and give it a good mix. Cancel sauté mode, close the lid, then pressure cook for 9-10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid and mash the eggplants really well using a potato masher. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor as needed. Add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke for additional smoky flavor. Press sauté mode and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, (cook a few mins longer for thicker and more roasted) then add the peas and cilantro and mix in. Cancel sauté.
Serve hot and garnish with additional cilantro, pepper flakes and sprinkle smoked paprika.
Follow step 1 and 2 over medium heat in a skillet. Add the eggplant and cook for 2 mins to brown some edges. Add salt and water. Cover and cook until the eggplant is tender.
Mash the eggplant. And continue to cook for another 5-8 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and flavor. Add liquid smoke if needed. Add peas and cilantro and take off heat.
Process the ginger, garlic, onion and chill in a food processor to save time.
Variations: Add a can of chickpeas after mashing the eggplant to make this into a meal. Add more of the spices and salt.
Oil-free: Press saute. Toast the cumin seeds in the dry pot until they get fragrant(or do this on a skillet over stove and then add to the instant pot). Add onion, ginger, garlic green chili and 1/4 cup water or broth and cook until translucent. Continue with step 2.
Nutrition is for 1 serve
Can’t wait to try this. I love bharta. Thanks Richa
Thank you Sue!
This is actually genius! I hate bharta because of the smoky taste, and my husband loves the smoky taste. I did recently acquire liquid smoke, and given how late in the recipe it needs to be added, I can take out a portion for myself and then add the liquid smoke! Yay!
great idea!
Tried this yesterday. I absolutely love it and have shared it with family. I’ve started a google document titled “favourite recipes” and many of your creations are featured there. Thank you for sharing your yummy yummy recipes!
thats awesome! Thanks!
Hi did you char the eggplant or simply peeled it? I don’t have a gas stove and can’t really char it. Making this this weekend.
i peeled it and added directly. See tips section on how you get the smokedflavor
This was absolutely awesome and so easy. Definitely will become a staple in my cooking repertoire. Great as a salad dressing/topping too.
ooh great idea to use in salads
Thank you so so much for including a stovetop procedure! I think this eggplant bharta recipe is PERFECT and I don’t have an instant pot. Liquid smoke probably makes it easier to add that smoky flavor instead of using a gas stove, but I have tried that charring method before and it really adds such a unique smoky quality to the eggplant that I ADORE. The peas add such a wonderful flare to the bharta too! I definitely will try this recipe out very soon!
This recipe is so delicious and easy! I charred the eggplant over my range to get the smokey flavor. It was very easy to do.
awesome! yes with a gas flame it works out. although it can get messy really quickly 🙂
Actually, my mom would char the egglant on the gas stove to give it that smokey flavor, then peel it. My sister would use the microwave for easy peeling. It was never really messy; besides that’s exactly what cooking is in general, if you want that true authentic taste. Certain quick methods with certain types of foods, usually result in less than tasty foods.
that is indeed true that cooking is messy. Many people dont have a flame, so charring becomes difficult. So its an alternate option. half my fam doesnt like the smoky flavor and half does. This way we can control that too! When i make it for mom, i char it just a bit and then proceed.
This recipe looks absolutely wonderful. I plan to make it this weekend. How many cups of cubed eggplant should I use? Eggplants come in so many sizes at the store where I shop. Do you think I could double the recipe in a 6-quart instant pot? Thanks! 🙂
that bowl takes 3 ish cups of chopped veggies. Yes you can easily double it in a 6 qt. Cooking time is the same. Simmer for a mins longer to reduce after opening.
I made this as well and it came out perfectly! It was delicious and spiced just right. Thank you, Richa!
Delicious! I love eggplant recipes, particularly dips – but this looks so good. Can’t wait to try this at home.
This looks delicious. I would like to make this tonight with chickpeas as you suggested. Could I just add in (rinsed but dry) chickpeas at the stage with the eggplant? Or what would you suggest if I wanted to incorporate the chickpeas into the dish? Thank you.
dried chickpeas take 30 to 40 mins of pressure cooking time. Eggplant will be very mushy by then. If you dont mind that, then you an add dried soaked chickpeas and pressure cook for 30 mins
Thank you so much for your response and advice. I made it last night and had just precooked the chickpeas and added them in at the stage with the peas. Delicious! My husband loved it. Thank you.
awesome!
What is your take on cumin seeds vs ground cumin?
you can use ground if you like. I use whole as those are used traditionally. There is slight flavor variation thats all
Can I do this if I don’ t have a pressure cooker?
yes all recipes have stovetop instructions in the notes
This was delicious Richa! I think it’s funny that elsewhere on your site you mention that you’re not crazy about eggplant but still this was so delicious. We ate the whole thing and I went out today to get more egg plant to make another batch!
🙂 exactly. i dont particularly like eggplant when just grilled or bland. but like it when cooked in certain ways.
Absolutely incredible – we LOVE this and if we leave out the serrano and optional liquid smoke our 1st and 2nd graders love it too. We didn’t really expect them to embrace an eggplant based dish, but now eating delicious Indian at home is much easier! We pair it with homemade vegan naan and serve it over brown rice and it’s such a delicious dinner that we actually prefer it to ordering takeout.