Indian Cooking Tips: How To Make Rigan Na Palita – A Masaledar Tawa Baingan Fry From Gujarat

Gujarati cuisine is as rich as its culture. The state has a rich culinary heritage that goes back to thousand years. Hence, if you thought Gujarati food culture is all about dhokla, khakra and fafda, then you are absolutely mistaken. We agree, dhokla defines the cuisine of the state, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg – the cuisine has much more to it. As per several food experts, Gujarati people have perfected the art of vegetarian cooking. If you explore, you will find an extensive range of recipes that are flavourful and detectable. While some of these dishes are found in the traditional Gujarati thalis available at the restaurants, others remain very local and homebound.

We recently came across one such delicious local recipe called rigan na palita – a Gujarati baingan fry. It might apparently look like a simple dish, but the balance of flavours in it blew our mind. Hence, we thought of sharing the recipe with you.

Also Read: Indian Cooking Tips: How To Make Panki – A Gujarati Dish Made In Banana Leaf

How To Make Rigan Na Palita | Gujarati-Style Tawa Baingan Fry Recipe:

Much like Bengali begun bhaja, here the eggplant is sliced, seasoned with masalas and fried until it turns brownish in colour. But what brings in the difference is masala used for seasoning. In a Bengali begun bhaja, eggplants are coated just with turmeric and salt (and sugar at times). However, for making rigan na palita, we need to first make a paste with salt, turmeric, chopped coriander, jeera-dhania powder and red chilli powder , then coat the egg plants with the paste and marinate for almost half-an-hour. It is then shallow fried until the colour darken and served hot as a side dish with dal-chawal, khichdi ori kadhi-chawal. And the ones, who love baingan ardently, can also enjoy it as is as a starter.

Click here for the step-by-step recipe.

Trust us, this dish is super easy to make and can spruce up your regular meal in a jiffy.

Get hold of a baingan and try it today! Do not forget to tell us how you liked it.

About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good movie can make her day.