Bagara Baingan

Whole small purple aubergines slit, stuffed with a dry masala paste, then slow-cooked in a rich Deccani gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, onion, and tamarind — the defining vegetarian dish of Hyderabadi cuisine. The gravy is thick, dark, and complex: nutty from the peanut-sesame base, sharp from tamarind, and aromatic from whole spices.