Bharta specially baigan bharta is a very popular dish of the Indian sub continent. Baigan/ eggplant is usually roasted over fire to give it a smokey taste. The roasted eggplant is then peeled and minced to make the bharta. We usually add chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic, chilli and coriander leaves to it.

Cooking over charcoal or wood fire braizer was common in India. I have often heard from my mother, how my grandmom after cooking and putting out the braizer , would keep a vegetable like a potato, eggplant or a tomato in the braizer to grill them over the residual heat. Once the vegetables got soft, she would peel and make the bharta to go with the meal. Although we have switched to modern cooktops, grilling an eggplant over the fire and helping my mother assemble the bharta has to be one of my favourite memories in the kitchen.

One of my other favourite bharta is the plantain bharta. Although it takes a little bit more time, it sure does have a kick. The mashed plantain is cooked with onion and sorshe bata to give it a tangy mustardy taste. It goes well with a hot plate of rice and a maach bhaja.

After moving to Canada, my kitchen didn't have a fire based cooktop and I had to improvise to make my childhood favourite dish. Now my eggplants are broiled in the oven every Saturday.