Baingan Bharta with Panch Phoron

I wanted to break away from the standard mix of powdered spices (dhania, jeera, and garam masala) and give a little twist to the north Indian version of baingan bharta. I also wanted to dispense with the haldi and the onions to bring out the flavours of the 'whole'/(unpowdered) spices that I would be using.

* Aside - I remember the standard Bengali 'Begun Bhorta' as something that just blends coal char-cooked aubergine/begun(bengali)/baingan(hindi) with chopped green chillies and raw (and VERY strong) mustard oil and that is served piping hot on some steaming rice...

I've recently bought myself a granite mortar and pestle to grind wet spices.  I find a marked difference in taste and texture when I use this compared to a quick whirl in the mixer-grinder. So... The ginger and garlic went it it for a quick grind...

I got bugged with the mess when I tried char-grilling things on a gas oven, so, I've resorted to using an iron mesh. Very nifty. The baingan cooked on it for about 7 minutes.

I keep turning it to get it to cook evenly. It shrinks considerably after it is done...

I like the charred flavour, so I kept most of the skin. You can remove it if you don't like it as much. I squashed it and got ready to dunk into the phoron/chaunk that was sputtering on the other hob. 

While the baingan/aubergine was cooking, I warmed up some mustard oil in a pan (this needs a good dollop of oil. Putting in too little makes for a not-so-nice bharta). The panch phoron and the ground ginger and garlic happily cooked and sputtered sending a splendid aroma wasting around. The cat decided to drop in through the kitchen window. I got it off the platform quickly and got going again. 

The baingan/aubergine landed in the pan and I sautéed it for a while to work the flavours in. 

I added some tomatoes, since they provide a bit of a contrast and sautéed some more...

...and voila! My dinner was ready.