Culinary Experiments : Maharashtrian Special - Bharli Vangi Recipe

BHARLI VANGI

So I got  this recipe from a Maharashtrian friend and with a slight tweak here and there,I managed to prepare this dish.

Frankly, it was only when I came to Pune, I heard about this dish. Me being me, I have always had very less liking for eggplant in general - but yesterday for some strange reason, finding these mini eggplants in the fridge I had the urge to prepare the dish.😃

Also with little patience that I possess, I always have an affinity for simple and quick to make dishes - and this came quite close to that. 😎

INGREDIENTS:

• Small Eggplants - 4
• Peanuts - handful
• 1 Tomato
• 1 Onion
• Jeera Seeds
• Garlic 
• Ginger
• Salt
• Spices 
• Mustard Oil

RECIPE:

Roast peanuts in a pan with a tinge of salt and sukhi mirchi for about 2 minutes.

Now grind these roasted peanuts - but make sure to keep it coarse.

To this add

• turmeric powder
• red chili powder
• dhania powder
• asafoetida powder 
• kasturi methi if you have it handy
• amchur powder
• oil

Take the washed and dried mini eggplants and slit it open in four.                                                                                                 

Take the roasted peanut mixture, and stuff the🍆sufficiently with the mixture. I also drizzled some mustard oil above to cut the pungent taste from the eggplant if any.

                                

Now, time for some chopping.🔪

Chop one 🍅, onion, chili, take about 2-3 pieces of garlic and a small piece of ginger - put these in the grinder, with a dash of jeera seeds atop. Grind it into a fine paste.

Take a fresh pan - add a dash of oil - once the pan is hot enough, fry the eggplants for about 4 minutes. This step is optional - I wanted the eggplant tad bit fried.

Set it aside.

In another pan add about 3 teaspoon of oil, once hot enough - add the grounded masala paste. Add turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder , dhania powder and Kitchen King masala if you have!

Fry the masala till the oil starts separating.

Then add the fried eggplants into the cooked masala.

Dodge all the ingredients for about 3-4 minutes. Add about 1 cup of water and cover the lid.

Cook for 10 minutes such that the 🍆 is soft and masala has reduced. Add crushed Kasturi methi over the top.

You can mix the left over peanut mixture to the gravy - it was my taste enhancer.

~Bon Appetite!!

P.S All the pictures have been taken by me.