If potatoes are the newcomers and chillies the fiery intruders, the brinjal — baingan — is the ancient king.
It is one of India’s oldest cultivated vegetables, and its history is so long and so emotional that every region of India has a strong opinion about it.
Brinjal is not just a vegetable.
It is a cultural identity, a marker of taste, a Mughal delicacy, a village staple, and the protagonist of countless food fights.
Let’s explore the vegetable that Indians have been arguing about for 2000+ years.
THE ORIGIN: INDIA IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE EGGPLANT
Modern botany agrees: eggplant originated in the Indian subcontinent.
Ancient Sanskrit texts like:
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Charaka Samhita (approx. 200 BCE)
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Sushruta Samhita
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Nighantu Ratnakara
all describe vātigama or vṛntākam — the brinjal.
Ayurveda viewed it as:
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warming (ushna)
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pungent (katu)
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beneficial for bile (pitta)
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problematic for cough (kapha)
Even then, people debated whether brinjal caused gas, allergies, or “rash” — arguments that survive to this day.
THE MUGHALS TURN BRINJAL INTO A ROYAL VEGETABLE
The Mughals loved eggplant. They embraced it just as they embraced mango.
Abu’l Fazl (Akbar’s chronicler) wrote about baingan ka borani in Ain-i-Akbari.
Shah Jahan’s kitchens recorded do-pyaza baingan, bhagare baingan, and masala-filled baby brinjals.
Miniature paintings show brinjals in royal gardens.
It was cheap, versatile, and absorbed spices like a dream — perfect for Mughal gravies.
REGIONAL AVATARS OF THE BRINJAL
Brinjal adapted in wildly different ways across India.
Bengal: Begun is Sacred
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Begun bhaja
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Begun pora
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Shukto with small brinjal pieces
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Boat-shaped beguni (street snack)
Brinjal is so deeply loved that Bengali cuisine is unthinkable without it.
Andhra & Telangana: Spice Meets Silk
The small, purple Uduvulu or Uppalapadu varieties dominate.
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Bagara baingan
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Gutthi vankaya kura
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Brinjal fry with gunpowder
Here brinjal becomes the vehicle for intense spice.
Karnataka: The Temple Vegetable
Only a handful of vegetables are allowed in Madhwa Brahmin temple cuisine — and brinjal is one of them.
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Yennegai
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Ennegayi palya
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Badanekai sambar
It is central to festivals and rituals.
Maharashtra: Agricultural Backbone
Villages grow dozens of heirloom types:
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Bharta variety (large, smoky, thin-skin)
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Dhobli (white brinjal)
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Bharit-special oval varieties
Vangyache bharit, the Maharashtrian version of baingan bharta, uses roasted, smoked brinjals mixed with crushed garlic and green chillies — a flavour bomb.
North India: Baingan Bharta Dominates
A Partition-era dish transformed by:
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tandoors
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Punjabi mustard oil
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green chillies
The modern version emerged around 1950s–60s.
Tamil Nadu & Kerala
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Kathirikai kuzhambu
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Ennai kathirikai
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Eggplant theeyal
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Sambhar with tender brinjal
South India’s love for sour-tamarind brinjal combinations is unmatched.
THE GREAT BRINJAL CONTROVERSY: THE Bt BRINJAL WAR
In 2010, India stood at the centre of a global debate:
Should we approve genetically modified eggplant?
Scientists argued:
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it reduced pesticide use
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it protected farmers
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it was safe
Activists argued:
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it threatened biodiversity
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it handed seed control to corporations
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long-term effects were unknown
After massive protests, Bt brinjal was halted.
Bangladesh adopted it; India didn’t.
This single vegetable triggered national headlines and political storms — a testament to how emotionally Indians are attached to brinjal.
CONCLUSION: INDIA’S MOST ANCIENT VEGETABLE STILL RULES OUR PLATE
Brinjal isn’t just food.
It is heritage.
And it’s the only vegetable that can boast:
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2000+ years of Indian cultivation
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Mughal royal recipes
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Heirloom diversity
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Temple legitimacy
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Political debates
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Emotional loyalty
Among all Indian vegetables, only brinjal feels like a true cultural monarch.
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