Vegetables and mushrooms · IFCT 2017
Brinjal (baingan): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, raw brinjal gives 25 kcal, 1.5 g protein, 3.5 g carbohydrate and 4.0 g fibre, according to IFCT 2017's average of all varieties. It also carries 247 mg potassium and 34 micrograms of folate. IFCT tested 21 separate Indian varieties, and they are remarkably alike: from 22 to 30 kcal and 3.3 to 4.4 g fibre. What changes a brinjal dish most is the oil.
About brinjal (baingan)
Brinjal, Solanum melongena, is thought to have been first domesticated in South and South-east Asia, and few countries grow as many kinds: long purple, small round green, striped, white, and giant bharta brinjals. IFCT 2017 analysed 21 varieties and found them close on every count. Energy ran from 22 to 30 kcal per 100 g, calcium from 13 to 22 mg, iron from 0.27 to 0.5 mg and vitamin C from 1.0 to 3.1 mg. Names are recorded in 17 languages, from baingan in Hindi and begun in Bengali to vange in Marathi, kathirikkai in Tamil, vankaya in Telugu, badane in Kannada and wagun in Kashmiri.
Almost every region claims a signature brinjal dish. Punjab and Uttar Pradesh roast it over flames for baingan bharta, Bengal fries thick slices as begun bhaja, and Hyderabad simmers small brinjals in a peanut and sesame gravy as bagara baingan. Andhra stuffs them as gutti vankaya, Maharashtra makes bharli vangi, Karnataka mixes vangi bath, Chettinad cooks ennai kathirikai, and Kashmir prepares a sour chok wangun.
What brinjal (baingan) brings to a meal
- 01
Fibre for few calories
Brinjal carries 4.0 g fibre in just 25 kcal per 100 g, ranking 103rd of 256 foods and 14th of 39 vegetables for fibre. That is why a roasted bharta feels filling without being heavy.
- 02
Potassium and folate
Each 100 g supplies 247 mg potassium and 34 micrograms of folate, the latter ranking 93rd of 197 foods. Potassium helps offset sodium in the diet.
- 03
Some beta-carotene, little vitamin C
Brinjal has 146 micrograms of beta-carotene per 100 g, 12th of 31 vegetables with a value, but only 2.1 mg vitamin C, ranking 35th of 36. It is not a vitamin C vegetable.
- 04
Varieties barely differ
Across IFCT's 21 varieties, fibre stays between 3.3 and 4.4 g and protein between 1.2 and 1.8 g per 100 g. Choose by size, shape and taste for the dish, not by nutrition.
Brinjal (baingan) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 25 kcal | 1% | 2% |
| Protein | 1.5 g | 3% | 3% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 3.5 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 4 g | ||
| Free sugars | 1 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.3 g | ||
| Water | 90 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.07 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.02 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.15 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 23 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 17 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.37 mg | 2% | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.21 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Magnesium | 21 mg | 5% | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 33 mg | ||
| Potassium | 247 mg | ||
| Sodium | 4 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.11 mg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 2.1 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Beta-carotene | 146 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.06 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.11 mg | 4% | 5% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.53 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.07 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Folate (B9) | 34 µg | 11% | 15% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.07 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 13.5 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Brinjal (baingan): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/vegetables/brinjal/
Where brinjal (baingan) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 38 vegetables and mushrooms and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In vegetables and mushrooms | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 146 µg | 12th of 31 | 53rd of 160 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.11 mg | 4th of 39 | 69th of 241 |
| Folate (B9) | 34 µg | 19th of 39 | 92nd of 197 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.06 mg | 10th of 39 | 99th of 239 |
| Dietary fibre | 4 g | 14th of 39 | 103rd of 182 |
Every form of brinjal (baingan) in IFCT 2017
The tables analyse these separately. The figures above are for the row marked first.
| Form | Energy | Protein | Fibre | Iron | Calcium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brinjal - all varieties (shown above) | 25 kcal | 1.5 g | 4 g | 0.37 mg | 17 mg |
| Variety-1 | 27 kcal | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 0.49 mg | 22 mg |
| Variety-2 | 24 kcal | 1.8 g | 4 g | 0.44 mg | 17 mg |
| Variety-3 | 24 kcal | 1.4 g | 4.3 g | 0.34 mg | 15 mg |
| Variety-4 | 24 kcal | 1.5 g | 4 g | 0.38 mg | 13 mg |
| Variety-5 | 27 kcal | 1.4 g | 4.1 g | 0.36 mg | 17 mg |
| Variety-6 | 23 kcal | 1.5 g | 3.7 g | 0.39 mg | 17 mg |
| Variety-7 | 23 kcal | 1.4 g | 3.3 g | 0.27 mg | 20 mg |
| Variety-8 | 28 kcal | 1.8 g | 4 g | 0.42 mg | 21 mg |
| Variety-9 | 25 kcal | 1.5 g | 4 g | 0.38 mg | 19 mg |
| Variety-10 | 28 kcal | 1.7 g | 3.9 g | 0.41 mg | 16 mg |
| Variety-11 | 25 kcal | 1.4 g | 4.1 g | 0.37 mg | 16 mg |
| Variety-12 | 22 kcal | 1.6 g | 3.9 g | 0.37 mg | 20 mg |
| Variety-13 | 30 kcal | 1.5 g | 3.9 g | 0.32 mg | 19 mg |
| Variety-14 | 25 kcal | 1.6 g | 3.9 g | 0.32 mg | 14 mg |
| Variety-15 | 27 kcal | 1.6 g | 4 g | 0.36 mg | 18 mg |
| Variety-16 | 25 kcal | 1.3 g | 3.7 g | 0.32 mg | 18 mg |
| Variety-17 | 22 kcal | 1.2 g | 3.9 g | 0.5 mg | 21 mg |
| Variety-18 | 28 kcal | 1.5 g | 4.4 g | 0.38 mg | 16 mg |
| Variety-19 | 24 kcal | 1.3 g | 4 g | 0.32 mg | 16 mg |
| Variety-20 | 24 kcal | 1.4 g | 3.7 g | 0.33 mg | 14 mg |
| Variety-21 | 27 kcal | 1.4 g | 3.9 g | 0.34 mg | 15 mg |
How brinjal (baingan) is eaten
- Baingan bharta: a large brinjal charred over a flame, peeled and mashed with onion, tomato, garlic and green chilli.
- Begun bhaja in Bengal: thick slices rubbed with turmeric and salt and shallow-fried, eaten with dal and rice.
- Bagara baingan in Hyderabad and gutti vankaya in Andhra: small brinjals stuffed or simmered in a peanut, sesame and coconut masala.
- Vangi bath in Karnataka: rice tossed with brinjal cooked in a roasted spice powder with tamarind.
- In sambar, undhiyu and Kashmiri chok wangun, where brinjal soaks up the sour, spicy liquid around it.
Recipes in the NNWA database that use it
Avial (Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry in Coconut-Yoghurt Sauce)
South Indian · Main course
Baingan Bharta
North Indian · Main course
Bengali Shukto (Mixed Vegetable Bitter Curry)
East Indian · Main course
Idli Sambar (Steamed Rice Cakes with Lentil Vegetable Stew)
South Indian · Breakfast
Litti Chokha (Bihari Baked Wheat Balls with Mashed Vegetables)
East Indian · Main course
Sambar (Lentil & Vegetable Stew)
South Indian · Main course
Cooked dishes that use it, with calories per serving
Before you plan around it
Brinjal's spongy flesh absorbs oil quickly, so a fried or stuffed brinjal dish can carry far more fat than the vegetable itself. Roasting it whole over a flame, baking it, or salting slices for twenty minutes before shallow-frying reduces how much oil it soaks up. Brinjal is a member of the nightshade family, and a small number of people find it causes itching or mouth irritation; they should simply avoid it. The vegetable itself is low in calories, at 25 kcal per 100 g.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about brinjal (baingan)
Is brinjal good for health?
Yes. Brinjal is low in calories, 25 kcal per 100 g, with 4.0 g fibre, 247 mg potassium and 34 micrograms folate in IFCT 2017. It is not rich in vitamins or minerals, but it adds fibre and bulk. How it is cooked, roasted or deep-fried, matters most.
Does the variety of brinjal matter for nutrition?
Very little. IFCT 2017 analysed 21 Indian varieties and found energy between 22 and 30 kcal and fibre between 3.3 and 4.4 g per 100 g. Any differences are smaller than the effect of cooking oil or method.
Why does brinjal cause itching for some people?
Brinjal contains natural compounds, including histamine-like substances, that can irritate the mouth or skin in sensitive people. This is uncommon and is not a reason for others to avoid it. Anyone who reacts consistently should leave it out and mention it to their doctor.
What is brinjal called in different languages?
IFCT 2017 records baingan in Hindi, begun in Bengali, bengena in Assamese, ringna in Gujarati, vange in Marathi, kathirikkai in Tamil, vankaya in Telugu, badane in Kannada, vazhuthiniga in Malayalam and wagun in Kashmiri.
Related foods and tables
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
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Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Capsicum
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Bitter gourd (karela)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by riboflavin (vitamin b2) per 100 g.
Folate (vitamin B9) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by folate (vitamin b9) per 100 g.
All vegetables and mushrooms
39 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.