Recipe- Maharashtrian Style Bharli Vangi With Peanuts

Bharli vangi in English means stuffed eggplant and in Hindi it’s popularly known as bharwa baingan. This is a vegan recipe that is made using small eggplants stuffed with a flavourful aromatic filling of peanut powder.

This curry tends to be on the sweeter side with the addition of peanuts and jaggery.

Many times instead of peanut powder, freshly scrapped coconut is used as the filling.

This bharli vangi / stuffed eggplant is popularly served with Indian flat bread Bhakri (millet flatbread) especially in the state of Maharashtra.

Ingredients

4-5 Small Vangi / Brinjal / Eggplants (preferably small size)
1 1/2 cups Roasted Peanut Powder
3 tbsp Goda Masala
1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder
1/4th tsp Hing
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Jaggery (Gul)
Salt to taste
1/4th cup Coriander Leaves finely chopped
Water as per requirement

Method

- Wash and dry brinjal. Make slit in between each brinjal to divide them into four quarters. Keep these slit eggplants in salted water to stop their oxidization. Do not cut the brinjal all the way thru. By slitting them we need to fill the masala in it.

- In a mixing bowl add roasted peanut powder, red chilly powder, goda masala, salt and 1 tsp oil. Mix all the ingredients well. Check the seasoning.

- Stuff this peanut masala into the slit brinjals. Keep the remaining masala aside if any.

- In a non stick kadhai, add oil and mustard seeds.

- Once mustard seeds begins to crackle add hing, turmeric and extra masala if remained.

- Saute this masala for about a minute and add the stuffed brinjal’s.

- Carefully mix the stuffed brinjal’s so that they are covered with the tempering and the masala.

- Now add jaggery and 2 cups of water.

- Cover and cook the brinjal’s for about 15-20 mins till they are tender.

- Stir them occasionally and ensure that eggplants does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

- Add water as per your requirement for the gravy.

- Bharli Vangi / Stuffed Baingan Curry with Peanuts is ready.

- Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

- Serve with roti, bhakri or rice.