Beguni Recipe | Bengali Telebhaja | Eggplant Fried

Beguni Recipe | Bengali Telebhaja | Eggplant Fried | Baigan pakoda is a Bengali eggplant fry recipe, in which long thin brinjal slices are immersed in a spicy chickpea batter and then fried till golden brown. It is one of the favorite street food dishes of Bengalis and the most popular fritters named as Tel-Bhaja in Bengal. The Bengalis love this fried donut called TeleBhaja and it’s one of their favorite dishes

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About Beguni Recipe | Bengali Telebhaja | Eggplant Fried 

This Beguni Recipe | Bengali Telebhaja | Eggplant Fried street food in Kolkata is gluten-free, vegan, and perfect when combined with a cup of chai or tea. A beguni is a crispy spread made from eggplant slices fried in a Bengali-style besan (chickpea) dough.

This snack is originally from Bangladesh but is now a popular snack in Bengal and Bangladesh. This is one of the most popular snacks in Bangladesh as well as in India and other parts of Asia.

Thus, this recipe for Bengali style Beguni recipe is provided exclusively for you. You will enter a completely new world with every bite. Imagine a crispy chickpea flour batter made with spices topped with soft, buttery eggplant pieces. Oh Joyful!

This eggplant recipe is popular in Kolkata as a snack for evening tea and it tastes vegan with a cup of chai. You can make the same with a variety of vegetables like sliced potatoes, cauliflower, cucumber, etc.

Telebhaja’s beguni shops can be found on every corner of Kolkata, and the vegetable snack is known for its deep-fried version.

Monsoon and winter evenings are ideal for drinking a cup of hot tea with this crispy deep-fried beguni. While beguni is generally served with rice and dal, it can also go with Bhuni khichuri or khichadi.

The Bengalis call it Beguni, but in other languages, it is called Baingan or Bhajji because of its different name.

When you purchase them from the streets of Kolkata, they serve this hot beguni with puffed rice and green chilies. There’s a taste of crunch when served in a thonga (paper bag). The feel of the look increases the appetite a little, but the flavor and crunch are much more intense than when served in thongas or paper bags, and it is very tasty.

These crispy fried eggplants are crispy from the outside and soft from the inside, these are also my favorite to serve during Durga puja or even weekend lunch. Just munch on them, and enjoy your cheat day!

This dish is.

• Easy to make
• Crispy
• Deep-fried
• Perfect for rainy days
• Perfect for your evening snacks
• Great with khichuri, rice, and dal meals

Check Beguni Recipe | Bengali Telebhaja Video Recipe:

For the batter – Now to make the spiced batter, we will mix all the remaining ingredients in a bowl. These ingredients include besan (chickpea flour), rice flour, salt, ginger paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and baking soda. The batter is slightly spiced, which adds a spicy flavor to the outer layering of the batter.

You can add red chilly powder according to your spice level. 

Poppy Seeds – Poppy seeds give this recipe a great taste.

Spices  – Generally we use cumin powder, carom 

Nigella Seeds  –  You can use nigella seeds or kalonji as well as carrom seeds. It helps with digestion.

Rice Flour – It gives a perfect crispy texture to the batter.

Oil – You can use any vegetable oil or refined oil.

How to make Beguni Recipe step by step with photo :

1. Discard the stem of the eggplant/begun/brinjal cut it lengthwise into 1 cm thickness and keep it aside.

2. Let’s prepare the batter. In a large bowl mix together chickpea or besan flour, rice flour, poppy seeds, nigella seeds/kalonji, turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, and a pinch of baking soda.

3. Now add water a little at a time to make a thick lump-free and smooth batter. The batter should be thick and flowy. Add a tbsp of hot oil to the batter and whisk. This makes the fritters more crispy.

4. Now immerse the brinjal slices in the batter and drain off the excess batter and carefully add the slices to the hot oil. Fry till golden brown on both sides.

5. Take them out on a kitchen towel to drain out excess oil. 

6. Sprinkle with some chaat masala and serve it hot with some chai or muri(puffed rice) or khichuri.

Important Suggestions To Keep In Mind

• Traditionally Remember to use a big variety of purple brinjal you can either slice them long thins or rounds.
• Deep fry them in medium hot oil.
• Add red chilly powder according to your spice level.
• Use rice flour and cornflour for extra crispiness.
• Use nigella seeds or carrom seeds for must as deep-fried so it will help with digestion.
• Add 1 tbsp hot oil to the batter to make it even crispier.

Variations

Baked – First preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it aside. Make the begunis as per the instructions given in the recipe card.

Once you dip the brinjal in the spicy batter, allow it to sit for about 4-5 minutes.

Now place the brinjal slices into the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for more than 10 minutes. Serve hot with kasundi or khichuri or sauce.

Air Fried – To make Air Fryer beguni’s, make the beguni as per the instruction given. Now dip the brinjal in the batter and allow them to sit for about 4-5 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the Air fryer to 180 C or 360 F for about 5 minutes.

Brush or Spray the basket with oil and add brinjals in one layer on the basket tray.

Close the basket and air fry the brinjal for about 10 minutes. Make sure to flip the brinjals once in the middle. Spray or brush more oil if needed. Enjoy less calorie beguni without guilt.

Serving Suggestion 

Beguni and Khichuri are a perfect combination for each other and are adorable to all Bengalis.

This is a versatile meal that can be enjoyed at any time of day as a lunch or snack. Muri Beguni is the most popular way to enjoy this deep-fried treat, and it is one of those versatile foods that you can enjoy at any time of day for lunch and snacks.

Another way to eat a beguni is to have steamed rice and lentils for lunch or you can simply have them with evening chai or tea.

Storage Suggestion

I will not recommend storing them as they become soggy and oily. Brinjals or began are those vegetables if kept long after cooking they don’t taste good.

They are super easy to prepare so make them fresh and serve hot only.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Does eggplant need to be soaked before frying? 

“When you deep fry it, that is the only alternative. For around 30 to 45 minutes, I usually let the slices soak in a bowl of water with a few tablespoons of salt. I find that by doing this, the fried eggplant comes out less oily, although it has nothing to do with bitterness. 

Is it better to bake or fry eggplant?

In addition to being less messy, breaded baked eggplant retains its incredible crispness. Yes heard it right this eggplant slice needs to be coated in bread crumbs or chickpea flour and then baked or air fried then it will be more crunchy and less messy while deep frying.

How do you keep eggplant from absorbing oil when frying?

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Beguni Recipe | Bengali Telebhaja | Brinjal Fried

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Sanchita Dey
• Total Time: 20 minutes

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Description

Beguni Recipe | Bengali Telebhaja | Eggplant Fried is a Bengali recipe for eggplant brinjal fry, in which eggplant slices are dipped in a thick, spiced chickpea flour batter and then fried to perfection.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 medium – Eggplants /Begun /Brinjals wash and dry
• 3/4 cup – Gram flour/Besan/chickpea flour
• 2 tbsp – Rice flour
• 2 tsp – White poppy seeds/ khus khus
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp – Chilli powder
• 1 tsp – Nigella seeds
• pinch Baking soda
• Salt as per taste
• Oil for deep frying

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Instructions

1. 1. Discard the stem of the eggplant/begun/brinjal and cut it lengthwise into 1 cm thickness and keep it aside.
2. Let’s prepare the batter. In a large bowl mix together gram flour, rice flour, poppy seeds, nigella seeds/kalonji, turmeric powder, chili powder, salt, and a pinch of baking soda.
3. Now add water a little at a time to make a thick lump-free and smooth batter. The batter should be thick and flowy. Add a tbsp of hot oil to the batter and whisk. This makes the fritters more crispy.
4. Now dip the eggplant pieces in the batter and shake off the excess batter and slowly slide the eggplant into the hot oil. Fry till golden brown on both sides.
5. Take out in a kitchen towel to drain out excess oil.
6. Sprinkle with some chaat masala and serve it hot with some chai or muri(puffed rice) or khichuri.

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Notes

• Traditionally Remember to use a big variety of purple brinjal you can either slice then long thins or rounds.
• Deep fry them in medium hot oil.
• Add red chilly powder according to your spice level.
• Use rice flour and corn flour for extra crispiness.
• Use nigella seeds or carrom seeds for must as deep-fried so it will help in digestion.
• Add 1 tbsp hot oil into the batter to make it even crispier.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Snacks
• Method: Deep- Fry
• Cuisine: Bengali, Indian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 79 kcal

Note: A rough estimate of nutrition is provided.

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