Instant Pot Baigan(Eggplant) Choka is a quick and easy way to make baigan choka, if you have an electric cooktop. With this recipe you can have delicious baigan choka in no time, with minimal effort.
Guyanese Baigan Choka in the Instant Pot
I have an electric stove, which means I can’t roast eggplant to make Baigan choka during the cold months. During the summer I do it on my outdoor cooker. While visiting my mom wanted to make roti and baigan choka for breakfast and we decided to try making it in the instant pot. It was such a success that I am sharing it with you.
To mimic the traditional smoky flavor of baigan choka I used liquid smoke. This made a huge difference from roasting the eggplant without it and was closure to the authentic flavors of the original dish.
Why You’ll Love This Baigan Choka Recipe
- Quick: With the instant pot the eggplant cooks in half the time versus roasting on an open flame!
- Hands off: No need to turn the eggplant during roasting. Just set your instant pot and let it work.
- Easy Clean-up: Making roasted eggplant over a flame is messy, this instant pot version is a dream since there are no charged eggplant skin to clean up.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Baigan Choka
For this easy Instant Pot baigan choka recipe, you need just a few simple ingredients.
- Eggplants: I use two large Italian eggplants for this recipe.
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic makes all the difference here. I slice some up to stuff the eggplant and chop the others to sautè
- Liquid Smoke: To add a deep smoky flavor to the eggplant
- Water: To dilute the liquid smoke
- Tomato: Unlike traditional choka, I used diced tomatoes instead of flame roasted
- Cilantro: I love the flavor it adds to the choka
- Red Onions: Red onions have a sharp taste when added to the choka raw and mild and sweet when sautéed before adding to the choka
- Wiri wiri pepper: Add this if you want a kick of spice.
- Oil: Use a good oil, like extra virgin olive oil to sauté the veggies as this can impact the overall taste of the dish.
- Salt: To enhance the overall taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Instant Pot Baigan Choka
Make deep slits into the eggplant and stuff it with the sliced garlic. Deep slits in the eggplant serve as a conduit for the smoke and it penetrated the fleshy eggplant.
Then the liquid smoke and water to the base of your instant pot. Place a metal trivet inside the instant pot and place the eggplant on the trivet. Seal up the instant pot and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. It is that easy!
Remove the eggplant and allow to cool before peeling away the skin and crushing the eggplant with a fork. Then rinse your instant pot and heat using the sauté function. When the instant pot is hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot add the red onion and cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and start to brown a bit on the ends. Then add the garlic, tomatoes and wiri wiri peppers. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
Finally add the crushed eggplant from earlier and the salt. Mix well and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes before removing from the heat and serving.
Instant Pot Baigan (Eggplant) Choka
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant about 1lb in weight
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons of oil for sautéing I used avocado oil
- 1/2 purple onion
- 1 cup of plum tomatoes sliced in halves
- 1/2 cup of cilantro chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Add water and liquid smoke to the base of your instant pot.
- Cut 4 to 6 large deep slits into the eggplant
- Place eggplant on the trivet that comes with the instant pot, so that it is not sitting in the water and liquid smoke
- Close and seal instant pot, then cook eggplant on high pressure for 12 minutes
- Release the steam following the quick release instructions for the instant pot
- Carefully remove the eggplant from the instant pot using tongs, as eggplant will be really hot
- Then, peel the skin from the eggplant using a knife or fork
- Shred the eggplant with a fork and set aside
- Wash the pot of the instant pot to remove the residue from the liquid smoke, if your instant pot is still hot, you can also do this step on the stove top using a sauté pan or skillet
- Set instant pot to sauté then when hot add oil to the pot (be careful not to add oil if the instant pot has water after washing, wait for the water to evaporate, then add the oil, also feel free to dry the pot after washing)
- When the oil is hot, add the onions, tomatoes and garlic and sauté until the onions are cooked and the tomatoes are slightly mushy
- Add cilantro then sprinkle with cayenne pepper and salt
- Finally pour cooked veggies and oil over the shredded eggplant and mix together well
- Serve warm
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
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Nadia Says
Just used this recipe. I love how it It came out-so delicious! The addition of the liquid smoke gave the same flavor that I used to taste when my grandmother would make it on the fire.
Anisia Says
Wow this looks amazing. I love Baigan Choka but as you know it’s a messy process on the stove top , even the oven. I’m so happy you posted this insta version. Will be trying out this weekend. Thanks Althee.
Althea Brown Says
Yay. Let me know how it comes out!