ISO: Bartha Recipe

[blurby]

I had a really fantastic bartha last thursday at a local Indian joint and I'm eager to find a good recipe to work with at home. I don't have a grill/tandoor so I'm guessing that nothing will be spot on; the broiler will have to be good enough.

-Sorry for the repeat; this seems like a better location for the question

[sanrensho]

Eggplant bhartha? I'd love to find a good recipe myself, after thoroughly enjoying the version at my local Indian restaurant (Handi, West Vancouver location).

[blurby]

Eggplant bhartha? I'd love to find a good recipe myself, after thoroughly enjoying the version at my local Indian restaurant (Handi, West Vancouver location).

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Yes, I should have specified eggplant. The one I enjoyed so much was at (I think the name was) Mayuri on Broadway in Vancouver.

[sanrensho]

^^^Was it Maurya?

Edited August 21, 2007 by sanrensho (log)

[blurby]

^^^Was it Maurya?

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That's the one! The Bartha was delicious; smokey deep flavor with a good deal of bite that I think was from a large amount of tomato. There was a nice contrast between the smooth flesh, seeds, and skin.

Also, I think their naan was sourdough... not traditional by any means but really quite wonderful

[JasonTrue]

Really? Sourdough is not traditional? Isn't cake yeast only about a 140-year old ingredient? I believe naan is considerably older than that. I would think that the yogurt that is sometimes added to the dough in yeasted recipes is designed to simulate the complexity of sourdough.

Also, I think their naan was sourdough... not traditional by any means but really quite wonderful

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[sazji]

I love the Bhartha recipe in Julie Sahni's "Classic Indian Cooking." It's different than any I have had in restaurants; there is no garam masala in it for one thing. It's heavy on the ginger and garlic and has a lot of fresh coriander in it. When I can't get fresh coriander (which is about any time outside spring as it's not generally available in Istanbul, I have to grow it myself), I do put in a bit of garam masala, but I keep it light so that the smoky flavor of the charred eggplants doesn't get drowned out. I've also added a bit of cream to it and that's nice as well.

You don't need a tandoor to get that flavor. The easiest is to do them on a grill/hibachi, just put the eggplants on whole (make sure to poke a hole in each one!) and cook until done. Alternatively you can do it on a gas stove burner. Here we have an enameled "pot" with lots of slits cut in the bottom for distributing the heat better, but it isn't really necessary. Just keep turning it till the skin is charred and blistered, then let cool a bit and peel off all the skin, and put in a strainer to drain.

Edited August 22, 2007 by sazji (log)

[blurby]

Really? Sourdough is not traditional? Isn't cake yeast only about a 140-year old ingredient? I believe naan is considerably older than that. I would think that the yogurt that is sometimes added to the dough in yeasted recipes is designed to simulate the complexity of sourdough.

Also, I think their naan was sourdough... not traditional by any means but really quite wonderful

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You may be right; traditional was perhaps a bad choice in wording. I've never run into a recipe, reference, or restaurant that had a sourdough form. I think it's time to start experimenting:)

[sanrensho]

My experience with Indian cooking is extremely limited, so I'm almost hesitant to post this. However, I've tried two different recipes so far and had better success with this recipe:

http://www.indianfoodsco.com/Recipes/VegeP...tablePurees.htm

My reference point is the eggplant bharta/bartha/bhartha served at Handi's, which may or may not be similar to the one at Maurya. The above recipe has a larger proportion of onions and less tomatoes than other recipes I found. It lacks garlic/ginger paste, which can be added to taste. I need to go back to Handi's to see if I can detect the garlic/ginger.

The changes I made to the above recipe were to puree the eggplant and tomatoes, and I added peas and a bit more tomato juice. I also improvised by adding some cream at the end (before reading sazji's post). The taste was good, but I think the version at Handi's uses considerably more oil and perhaps more onions, or the onions are browned more thoroughly.

Roasting the tomato might also be a nice touch to caramelize the sugars, although I don't know if it is typical.

Edited September 12, 2007 by sanrensho (log)

[blurby]

My experience with Indian cooking is extremely limited, so I'm almost hesitant to post this. However, I've tried two different recipes so far and had better success with this recipe:

http://www.indianfoodsco.com/Recipes/VegeP...tablePurees.htm

My reference point is the eggplant bharta/bartha/bhartha served at Handi's, which may or may not be similar to the one at Maurya. The above recipe has a larger proportion of onions and less tomatoes than other recipes I found. It lacks garlic/ginger paste, which can be added to taste. I need to go back to Handi's to see if I can detect the garlic/ginger.

The changes I made to the above recipe were to puree the eggplant and tomatoes, and I added peas and a bit more tomato juice. I also improvised by adding some cream at the end (before reading sazji's post). The taste was good, but I think the version at Handi's uses considerably more oil and perhaps more onions, or the onions are browned more thoroughly.

Roasting the tomato might also be a nice touch to caramelize the sugars, although I don't know if it is typical.

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Great; many thanks! I'll try this one as well. I'm stockpiling these suggestions for when cold weather finally arrives.

Edited September 12, 2007 by blurby (log)

[sanrensho]

Great; many thanks! I'll try this one as well. I'm stockpiling these suggestions for when cold weather finally arrives.

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Let us know if you come up with a good recipe. I suspect that the eggplant bhartha at Handi's and Maurya might be of a similar style, which can happen in the same town.

I also squeezed lime juice on the final product to wake up the flavors a bit.

Edited September 12, 2007 by sanrensho (log)