Ringan Oddo / Baigan Bharta / Roasted Eggplant Mash

Ringan no oddo (Baigan bharta/ Roasted eggplant mash) + soft makai na rotla (maize flour flat bread) + some ghee-gaud (clarified butter-jaggery) during winters is one absolutely divine food platter. If you are a gujarati or have lived in Gujarat especially during winters then you know how incredible this food combination is. Every single gujarati restaurant or dhaba (highway restaurants) serve this food combination during winters. Absolutely delicious and one of my favorite foods to eat anytime of the year.

For those who don’t know what ringan no oddo/ baigan bharta is, you can relate this to a curry made with roasted eggplant. This dish is not just famous in Gujarat but loved all across India. Just like most indian curries, ringan oddo is made in more less different ways in different states/cities/regions. It may taste different across different parts of India but has one thing in common- always made from roasted eggplant.

Now you must be wondering what does an eggplant curry have to do with winters. I also used to wonder that as a kid. There is a popular belief (I call it a belief since I am not sure if it is proven) that eggplant is a good source of energy. We know eggplant is really rich in different micronutrients and has several nutritional benefits. But Gujaratis eat it during winters for getting energy to withstand the cold. This is the main reason why ringan oddo is paired with makai rotla (maize flour roti) and ghee-gaud (clarified butter-jaggery). All these are considered rich sources of energy and so believed to prepare the body against cold. However, I personally like to eat anytime of the year since it is so delicious.

Ringan oddo is one famous Indian curry and so it’s recipes are all over the internet. So then why my recipe? Well I recommend my recipe for two main reasons. First, I assure you that you are going to love it. Second, my recipe calls for roasting all the veggies used in making this dish in addition to roasting the eggplant. To some this may sound extra, lengthy or even a useless step, but trust me it is totally WORTH IT. I am always up for recipes that can be quickly made and so if I am recommending this extra step then that’s only because it takes ringan oddo to another level.

Yes, roasting all veggies in addition to the eggplant really helps to bring that intense smoky flavor in the dish. Ringan oddo gets its unique identity from other indian curries because of that eggplant roasting process. Roasting any veggie brings out its unique flavors just like it does to the eggplant. So by roasting all the veggies that go in this dish brings in so much intense and complicated flavors. Apart from roasting the veggies, ringan oddo is one simple and easy to make curry. But the roasted veggies do make a difference by taking the flavor profile of this curry to another level.

You can enjoy ringan oddo with any kind of roti/paratha/naan but my husband and I prefer eating it with makai na rotla (maize flour roti/flatbread). I believe this combination is not unique to Gujarat but everywhere else in India. And then not to forget, some ghee-gaud (clarified butter + jaggery) is a MUST to have with it!

So here I share my version of ringan oddo which I am sure you will love just the way we in this house devour it. Do try it and let us know if you liked it or not. Also let us know what is your favorite combination to go with the ringan oddo.

Serves : 2 | Roasting Time : 30-35 minutes | Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes

Steps to make Ringan Oddo:

1. Rinse the eggplant and properly pat dry it. Brush oil all over the surface of the eggplant. Now make a few slits all over the eggplant with a fork or knife. Roast it in a preheated oven/air fry at 450° F for 20-25 minutes. If you don’t have an oven or air fryer, then just roast it on the gas stove. For gas stove roasting, place the eggplant directly on heat, turn it every couple seconds for around 10-12 minutes until completely roasted.
2. To check if the eggplant is roasted or not, insert a knife into it. If the knife easily goes in the eggplant then it is roasted completely. At this point, take it out of the oven/air fryer/ gas stove and let it cool down.
3. Now in another sheet pan, place halved onions, tomatoes, jalapenos (deseed if you prefer less heat), ginger and garlic. Roast all of them in a preheated oven/air fryer at 450°F for 8-10. Once again, you can use a gas stove to roast each veggie individually in a similar way as the eggplant. For garlic cloves, you can roast them simultaneously with the eggplant by placing them in the slits made in the eggplant.
4. Once all the veggies are roasted, let them cool down.
5. Now to a food processor, add roasted onions, jalapenos, garlic and ginger and chop them using a pulse option. I use a food processor since roasted veggies are difficult to chop,, but you can choose to chop them.
6. Now chop tomatoes either manually using a knife or using a food processor pulse option. It is important to chop tomatoes separately from other veggies.
7. Next deskin the cooled roasted eggplant. Mash the eggplant using a fork/ potato masher or simply chopping it. Set it aside.
8. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once oil is heated, add cumin seeds to it.
9. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add chopped mixture of roasted onions, garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Saute for 2-3 minutes. It will not take much time to cook since everything is already roasted.
10. Now add chopped roasted tomatoes and let it saute for another 1-2 minutes.
11. Next add all the spices (red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin coriander powder, garam masala). Mix everything properly and let them cook for 1-2 minutes.
12. Once everything is cooked, add mashed eggplant and salt. Mix everything well and let it cook for another 3-5 minutes.
13. Ringan no oddo is ready. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy with maize flour rotla (corn flatbread), ghee (clarified butter), gaud (jaggery).