Having spent my whole life in Mumbai (before moving to London), I have experienced a lot of cuisines. Since, the city is extremely cosmopolitan, the amalgamation of different communities translates to that much variation in food, too. And the obvious is the Maharashtrian cuisine – the state who’s capital is Mumbai. Maharashtra has a wide range of both, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, recipes. That’s due it’s varied geography. The state is blessed with, mountains, beaches and even very arid regions. So, you can only imagine the diversity in it’s food. And this bharli vangi or stuffed aubergine curry is one gem of a recipe from that cuisine. This curry has a sweet, sour and spicy, coconut and peanut base, flavoured with goda masala. Since there is no onion, garlic or ginger used in this recipe, it is this masala that gives the dish its flavours.
The bharli vangi is always on top of the menu at weddings and other Maharashtrian functions. A lot of people who don’t like aubergines too, fall for this prep. It, really, is that delicious. And it pairs really well with bhakris, rotis or any Indian flatbreads. Likewise, I have served mine with some ragi flatbreads. So, that makes my meal both, healthy and yummy.
Also see,
Kerala avial (mixed vegetables with coconut)
Bharli vangi
There are no onions, garlic or ginger in the bharli vangi or stuffed aubergine curry. And like I mentioned, the main flavouring agent of this curry is the goda masala. This is a very typical and important Maharashtrian spice blend. Essentially, it is made of dried coconut, coriander seeds, black stone flowers, bay leaves, poppy seeds etc and has a sweetish taste. It is used to flavour dal, curries, rice dishes etc. Likewise, without this masala blend, our bharli vangi recipe too, is incomplete. In fact, it really will not taste the way it should. So, you could either collect all the whole spices and make the blend at home or just buy it online.
Once you have your stash of the masala, the rest is very quick and easy. For the recipe, you will simply need to make curry paste with a few ingredients and then cook it. You can make this aubergine curry in under 30 minutes. Another point to keep in mind is that, you will need baby aubergines for this recipe. That’s because you will need to stuff some of the curry paste in them, which will not work with the regular sized ones.
Flavoursome
The bharli vangi (stuffed aubergine curry) is a true treat to the taste buds. The tang from the tamarind, the sweetness from the jaggery and coconut paste and the spice from the chilis make this absolutely delicious. Do make it for lunch sometime and serve it along with some freshly made Indian flatbreads.
Eat hearty!
Bharli vangi (stuffed aubergine curry)
Equipment
- Shallow cooking pot
- Blender/Mixer
Ingredients
- 400 g small/baby aubergines
- ½ cup fresh coconut grated
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- 5-7 g tamarind or lime sized
- 2 tbsp jaggery
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1 tsp asafetida hing
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2½ tbsp goda masala
- 4-5 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash the aubergines well and give each of it two deep slits (like an "X") and also keep the crown, you may trim it short though. Keep them immersed in cold water*
- In a blender jar, add the coconut, peanuts, tamarind, jaggery, turmeric powder, goda masala, chili powder and salt. Add little water at a time and grind to make a fine and thick masala paste. Remove in a bowl and add chopped coriander leaves and mix
- Fill about a tablespoon of this masala in each of the aubergines. Set them aside
- Heat the cooking pot with the oil and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and the hing
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the aubergines and sauté´over medium flame for 3-4 minutes
- Now add the masala paste along with cup of water. Mix well, cover and cook, over medium low heat, until oil separates the pan and the aubergines are cooked (should take about 12-15 minutes)
- Once done switch the flame off and add the chopped coriander leaves, mix in gently. The curry will thicken as it cools
- Serve the delicious bharli vangi (stuffed aubergine curry) hot with rotis or any Indian flatbread of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- *This is done so that the aubergines do not turn black
- If you don't have goda masala, you could use garam masala. While the dish may not taste authentic, it will still taste good
- Make sure to cook the aubergines in the curry (step 6) over a low to medium flame, otherwise once cooked, they may break
- 1 cup - 250 millilitre
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
- g - grams
