Eggplant/baingan/aurbergine/brinjal is one vegetable not really liked by many. But in our house, we look forward to any variety to make many mouthwatering dishes like…. Eggplant Parmesan, Baingan Gojju etc. Browsing the net/tv for blogger inspiration is my only activity in my free time. On one of those jaunts, I came across a stuffed brinjal dish from one of the many youtube bloggers, “Crazy for Indian Kitchen”! His way of cooking, presenting and a beautiful view of his open kitchen (an open field!) totally fascinated a foodie like me! Inspired by his creations, I decided to make a simple stuffed eggplant curry. In Indian cooking, there are many ways you can stuff eggplants and make a curry. People from Andhra have their own way like “Gutti Venkaya” or the lip-smacking “Bharli Vangi” of Maharashtra. Our Konkani community from Mangalore is well known for another stuffed eggplant dish: Vaingana Saglen using coconut, our favorite ingredient in the kitchen, flavored with one simple spice, coriander seeds! I will share this recipe soon! Today’s dish is another simple and quick curry using simple ingredients; vegan and gluten free.
Small eggplants are slit and stuffed with a spicy filling of besan/chickpea flour. I have used basic spices like coriander seeds, turmeric, chili powder and garlic. Once stuffed, they are roasted along with onions and more spices and then cooked in its own gravy. The end result is a super delicious vegan and gluten-free curry which goes perfectly with any Indian flat bread or even rice!
Hope you get to make this in your own kitchen soon and make an eggplant lover of everyone! Enjoy and Happy Cooking!
Here are some more mouth watering eggplant/baingan delights from my kitchen:
Spicy Eggplant Bites Vangi Bhaath/Brinjal Rice Baingan Bhartha with Coconut
STEP-WISE METHOD TO MAKE BHARWAN BAINGAN/STUFFED EGGPLANT CURRY:
Wash eggplants/brinjal/baingan and make a cross cut in all the eggplants (do not cut through; you need the eggplant whole) to enable to be stuffed. If you like, you can remove the stem. Cook Time: 20 minutes
6 small eggplants 1 onion, finely chopped Puree of 2 small tomatoes 3 tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon coriander powder ¼ teaspoon haldi powder 1 teaspoon red chilli powder Salt to taste Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnish FOR THE STUFFING MASALA: 1 cup besan/chickpea flour ½ teaspoon haldi/turmeric powder 1 ½ tablespoons freshly ground coriander powder 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chilli powder 4 large cloves garlic 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon salt Finely chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
Instructions Notes You can use any kind of bringjal/eggplant to stuff with the besan mixture. Use canned or carton tomato puree instead of fresh tomatoes.
TO MAKE THE STUFFING MASALA:
In a mortar pestle, crush garlic cloves and red chili powder to a coarse paste. In a wide bowl, add all the ingredients of the stuffing masala: besan, chili-garlic paste, haldi, salt, oil, chopped coriander leaves and freshly ground coriander powder.
Mix well with your hands to combine thoroughly into a nice coarse paste. Add more oil if needed to hold the mixture together. Stuff each eggplant with this mixture, filling as much as possible. If you have leftover besan stuffing, you can use it to flavor and thicken the gravy.
TO MAKE THE BHARWAN BAINGAN:
Heat oil in a large wide saucepan and once the oil is hot, add the stuffed eggplants gently and stir fry or cook on medium heat until they are charred and slightly roasted.
Remove and keep aside. In the same oil, stir in chopped onions and saute until slightly soft.
Add tomato puree/paste and mix well. Now add the spice powders; coriander powder, red chili powder and haldi. If there is any stuffing leftover, add that too. Mix well to combine. Keep frying until you see the oil separating.
Now add enough water to make a medium consistency gravy. Add salt to taste (remember the stuffing and stuffed eggplants too have salt) and mix well. Bring to a boil.
Add the roasted stuffed eggplants to the boiling gravy and simmer covered, for a few more minutes or until the eggplants are fully cooked.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with any Indian flat bread like chapatti, roti, naan, paratha etc. This is a perfect curry to enjoy with hot steamed rice too! ENJOY! PIN or SHARE for later here: I am sharing this with our Face Book group - “A to Z Recipe Challenge” where this month’s challenge is dishes starting with the letter “E”. If you like my posts and recipes, do not forget to Pin, Share, comment in the box below or like my Facebook page Don’t forget to follow me on: Facebook @ curryandvanilla Pinterest @ curryandvanilla Instagram @ curryandvanilla16 Twitter @ curryandvanilla Google Plus @ Vanitha Bhat Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!!
