Beguni
 Beguni, displayed at the lower left corner of this image, is a popular Iftar item. | |
| Alternative names | বেগুনী |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Bangladesh, West Bengal |
| Main ingredients | Brinjal (eggplant) |
Beguni (Bengali: বেগুনী) is a Bengali snack made of eggplant (also known as aubergine or brinjal) which is sliced and battered before being either fried or deep fried in oil.[1][2] A similar European dish is known as aubergine fritters.[3]
The dish may be prepared by coating eggplant with besan paste and then frying the pieces in oil.[4] The eggplant is usually cut longitudinally (Bengali: বেগুন begun) and dipped in a batter of Bengal gram flour with salt and turmeric, and deep-fried in mustard oil. Sometimes a small amount of poppy seeds is added to the batter. Some people prefer adding a small amount of baking powder to the batter to make it more crunchy. It is commonly consumed along with puffed rice and is an extremely popular street food in the country's cities. It is normally an evening snack in Bengali households and is a very common component of Iftar in Bangladesh during the month of Ramadan of the Islamic calendar.
Beguni is also a quintessential component of the Bengali monsoon cuisine, where it is consumed along with rice and lentil preparation called Khichuri. It is also served as a snack and consumed with tea.
