Maybe they just overdid the tomato-onion base relative to the eggplant. You’d probably like the dish if you like babaghanoush, same smoky profile.
There are innumerable variations by region, though the Punjabi one is best known outside India. Standard onion-tomato-ginger-garlic-powdered spices masala base with charred, peeled eggplant mashed in (roasted stovetop or in the oven) – like this.
My mom prefers a western / Gujarati version with yogurt instead of tomato – like this or this, though you may want to lightly saute the ginger and garlic if you don’t like the sharpness of raw (which is intentional).
Only big eggplants are used for bharta. Smokiness from the skin charring is a big flavor component.
