Durga Puja Special: Begun Bhaja Recipe

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There is a sweet chill in the air and a distant feeling of festivity in the mood because once again, Durga Puja is here. To celebrate the 'Sharodiya' utsav this year, you need new clothes, lots of good wishes and plenty of good food. Bengali are foodies by birth and they cannot imagine life without good food. That is why; Durga Puja recipes occupy a special place in the festivities. The celebration of Maa Durga's glory can never be complete without hot and crispy 'begun bhaja' to go with 'luchi' and 'bhuni khichdi' being served in bulk.

In all the Durga Puja pandals, bhoj is distributed to everybody after the puja happens. And begun bhaja or deep-fried eggplant slices are an integral part of the Durga puja bhog. Bengali recipes are known for their style of cooking. However, begun bhaja is a recipe that is so simple that anyone can make it. It can be a side dish for a variety of dishes like khichdi, luchi (poori) or just plain dal and rice.

Here is a perfect Durga Puja recipe for you that you simply must try at least once during the pujas.

Serves: 3
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Eggplant or brinjal- 1 (200 grams)
• Turmeric- 1tsp
• Red chilli powder- 1tsp
• Flour- ½ cup
• Salt- as per taste
• Mustard Oil- 2 cups

Procedure

1. There are different styles of cutting the eggplant for this dish. Some people cut the eggplant longitudinally, some cut it into circles and some cut it into semi-circles.
2. We will be cutting the eggplant breadth-wise into perfect circles.
3. After cutting the eggplant, shove the knife into it to make incisions in the middle of the slices.
4. Rub salt into the slices of eggplant. Also, apply turmeric and chilli powder to it.
5. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. When it starts steaming, roll the eggplant pieces in flour and place them in the pan.
6. You need half a pan of oil to fry begun bhaja so don't bother counting the calories.
7. Deep fry the slices of eggplant in the oil by tossing and turning until it becomes deep brown in colour.
8. Now strain the crisp pieces of begun bhaja on kitchen tissues.

This Durga Puja recipe is simple quick and also versatile because you can eat begun bhaja with almost anything. But it is steaming hot because it becomes soggy once it gets cold.