Bharli vangi |Bharleli vaangi |Stuffed brinjals | Bharwa baingan

Stuffed brinjals (Bharli Vangi)

This is a very traditional Marathi curry, Bharli Vangi or "Stuffed Eggplant". Whenever you feel like eating something spicy in meals, this is a favorite option in all Marathi families. For this recipe what you need is fresh and small eggplant. It goes great with poli, bhakri or rice.

My mother makes the best bharleli vangi in world..... presenting her recipe

Ingredients

•9-10 small brinjals/eggplants,

•1 cup dry shredded coconut / wet coconut/desicated coconut

 .1 big onion chopped
•1/2 cup peanut powder or peanuts (roasted),
•1 tbsp each coriander-cumin seeds,

•2 tbsp maharashtrian-goda-masala

•1 tsp lemon juice 

•1 tbsp jaggery,
•2 tsp chili powder,
•salt to taste,
•2 tsp asafoetida,
•1 tsp turmeric powder.

•2 tsp oil.

Method

1.Remove stems and give four vertical slits (not fully) to the brinjals from the top. If you want to keep the stems, give the slits from the bottom of the brinajls keeping the stem intact. Keep them in salt water for 10 minutes and rinse. Set aside.
2.Add oil in  pan add chopped onions & wet coconut & roast together till light brown.Allow it to cool & Powder this mixture in a mixie.Combine lemon juice, jaggery, peanut powder, cumin-coriander powder, turmeric powder,salt, chili powder and goda masala with the ground mixture. Alternatively, grind all these ingredients together with the roasted mixture.
3.Stuff all the brinjals with above masala.
4.Take a kadai or a shallow non stick pan, and heat oil in it. Add mustard seeds. When you hear spluttering sound, add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
5.Add the brinjals and the leftover masala. Gently fry for sometime. Add 1/2 cup water.
6.Cover and cook over low-medium heat for about 15-25 min or until the brinjals turn soft and completely cooked. (To keep the masala from sticking to the bottom of the pan, cover the pan with a deep platter with some water in it. It helps the curry cook evenly without burning.)

7.Remove the lid and stir to check if the brinjals are done. If not, cook further until well done.

8 Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Variations:

• Add potato cut into vertical pieces along with the brinjals.
•  Stuff small potatoes in the same way as brinjals and cook them along with the brinjals.
• Try substituting gherkins (TONDLI) for the brinjals in the above recipe.
•  You can substitute coriander-cumin powder for the coriander and cumin seeds in this recipe. In that case, roast coconut and sesame seeds together, grind them and combine the mixture with coriander-cumin powder and rest of the spices mentioned in step 2.
• Goes well with rice-flour-bhakri-tandalachi- bhakri.
• Add 2 tspn asafoetida in tadka in step 4 .This helps in digestion of eggplant