Bharli vaangi : Stuffed Brinjals

I wanted to post this recipe since a long time,it being one of my favourite dish. I never really used to like brinjals so much in childhood, but as i grew up, my taste buds became adventurous and i experimented a lot with food. Has it happened to you all that you didn't like any particular ingredient or dish as a child, and now you love it?

The famous two dishes of the vegetable in India are Bharta (Bharit as we call it in Marathi) and Bharli Vaangi (Bharwan Baingan or stuffed brinjals). Although majority of the brinjals are purple, there are also the green or white variety. Also known as aubergine or eggplant, brinjal is the common word in India. Having immense health benefits, the major one (and the one i should mention here for all my beautiful ladies reading this blog) is brinjal helps skin look younger as it has a good amount of antioxidants and vitamins. So there is no reason not to eat this vegetable right?

There are different methods of making Bharli vaangi... some stuff the masala inside the brinjals and saute it or even roast it. Some saute the masala and then stuff into brinjals and cook it covered. Some make the curry, and add roasted/cooked brinjals to it, but the one my mother makes is a little different. I like her version a lot, though at times i myself make the dry version too to give it in tiffin to hubby. But whenever i go home, i "demand" my mom to make this dish her way. And she makes it lip smacking!!!

So, the last time i visited her, i took some pics of the dish she had made ( took them in a hurry, as i was so hungry and slurrping that i didn't have the patience to click pics with the DSLR). So these pics are clicked with my I-phone and hence sorry for the image quality :) But guess you can make out, how tempting the curry is :)

Ingredients:

Brinjals - 8 medium sized ( my mother here has used green variety, but the purple variety tastes great too )

Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp ( adjust to taste )

Goda masala - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Onions - 4 

Garlic - 4-5 pods

Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Corriander leaves - to garnish

Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Peanut powder - 2 tbsp

Recipe:

Wash the brinjals thoroughly. Now remove the stem and cut slit the brinjal keeping the other end intact ( cut both horizontally and vertically).

Take some water in a bowl, add about 1/4 tsp salt to it. Now put the cut brinjals into water and keep aside.

Grate the onion ( Yes, that's her secret!!! ). Takes time and you might end up with loads of sneezes and tears, but trust me it's totally worth it !!! The grated onions give a nice thickness to the gravy.

Chop the garlic finely or you can even crush it.

Take oil in a kadhai/pan. This sabzi requires a little more oil, as it gives good taste and "tari" (a layer of oil) on top. Let the oil really heat up well.

Add mustard seeds, when they crackle, add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Now add the crushed/chopped garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds and immediately add the grated onions.

Saute for about a minute ( don't burn it ) on low flame and then add the turmeric powder,salt and red chilli powder. Mix it all well and let it cook till it starts leaving oil. 

Now add the cut brinjals and mix it, so that the brinjals coat with the masala. After about 1-2 minutes, add enough water so that the brinjals are immersed in it. Let it come to a boil on high flame, and then reduce to flame to low. 

Cook till brinjals are done. Now add the goda masala and peanut powder. Mix it well and add little more water (according to the consistency of the gravy needed). Adjust salt, and garnish with corriander leaves.

Traditionally we serve it with Bhaakri (roti made of jowar, bajra or rice powder), but it tastes great even with normal chapati or paratha.

Happy Cooking :)