We love how diverse Bengali food is. From the simplest of dals and vegetables to the exotic mutton kosha and ilish bhapa, you will find it all in Bengali food. This often makes it difficult for people to choose their favorite from the lot, especially when you have countless recipes to try. Bengali cuisine is a melting pot of different food cultures, each with its own specialities. This is the reason, you will find even a simple machar jhol served in different cuisines in different homes. interesting? Here, we would like to talk about one more such dish which is simple, comforting and can be made and enjoyed in more than one way. It is the best beginner’s language.
About Begun Bhaja
start meaning in bengali Eggplant (eggplant) and bhaja stands for fry. It is simply sliced brinjal, deep fried in oil. While we mainly associate fried food with snacks and appetizers, starters bhaja play a huge role in Bengali cuisine. You can pair it with a few other dishes to make a complete meal. And the fact that you can customize the dish according to your taste makes starter bhaja popular with everyone, except those who are allergic to it. Let’s look at some of the most popular versions of the recipe.
Read also: Watch: How To Make Baingan Bharta – Here’s An Easy Step-by-Step Recipe
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How to Make Bengali Style Begun Bhaja – 3 Ways to Make Begun Bhaja:
Recipe 1:
To get started, we’ll pick the simplest one of the lot. All you need to do is chop the brinjal, mix it with turmeric powder, salt and some red chili powder (optional) and deep fry it in mustard oil.
Recipe 2:
If you like extra crunch in your food, sprinkle some flour (or rice flour) and fennel seeds while coating the cut brinjals with salt and turmeric. Rest like this – deep fry in mustard oil till golden and crispy.
Recipe 3:
If you want to enjoy starter bhaja as an appetizer, prepare begini with it. Beguni is an brinjal fritter, which is made by wrapping chopped brinjals in gram flour batter. It is then deep fried in mustard oil and is enjoyed hot. Click here for recipe.
In the next section, we will look at the different ways to incorporate starter bhaja into your meals. read on.
Read also: Khichdi-Begun Bhaja: Bengal’s Wholesome Lunch Combination That Screams Monsoon
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5 ways to include Begun Bhaja in your diet:
1. With Rice and Ghee:
Classic Starters Bhaja is best enjoyed with hot rice, ghee, salt and green chillies. Mix rice, brinjal bhaja, ghee and salt together and enjoy with hot green chillies.
2. With Rice and Dal:
Instead of pickle or potato chips, you can also pair your regular dal chawal with the classic starter bhaja. It adds a layer of flavor to your food.
3. With Roti, Luchi or Paratha:
Bhaja and Luchi (or roti/paratha) make for the quintessential Bengali breakfast. You can either have the classic starting Bhaja or pair it with Atta Started Bhaja for extra crunch. Do not forget to take green chillies along with it.
Read also: Chola Dal With Luchi: The Traditional Breakfast Combo Of Bengal You Must Try
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4. With Khichdi:
You must have already eaten it during Durga Puja. flavors of A dish in South Asian cuisine made of rice and lentilsSoak and relax with crunchy started bhaja. You can enjoy all three types of starters bhaja with the humble khichdi.
5. With Muri :
Serve with muri (puffed rice) and you can enjoy begni as a wholesome snack. Serve Muri/Murmura mixed with mustard oil with begoni.
What are you waiting for? Make some beginner bhaja at home and enjoy! Let us know which one did you like the best among the above versions of Bhaja launched.