Spiced Smoky Aubergine

This North Indian aubergine dish, known as baingan bharta, is India’s answer to the Middle Eastern baba ganoush. I first ate it in Rajasthan and immediately knew that it was something I wanted to cook back at home. It’s comforting and warming and works well on its own, with paratha or chapati, and as part of a larger spread. The aubergines are best cooked over a gas flame or barbecue to give them a smoky aroma. You can soften them in an oven, they just won’t have the same smoky edge.