BHARWAN BAINGAN

 BHARWAN BAINGAN

Eggplant/Aubergine are better known as Brinjals in India. This is commonly available - in different varieties- in all places. It is called Baingan in Hindi, Badanekayi in Kannada and Kathirikai in Tamil. 

Brinjals are high in antioxidants and fibre and have numerous health benefits.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes made with brinjal such as:-

• Badanekayi Yennegayi  from Karnataka
• Kathirikai Pitlai from Tamilnadu
• Bharli Vaangi from Maharashtra

Today's recipe is for a dish from North India called Bharwan Baingan in which spice powders are stuffed in the brinjals.

Make sure you use Baby Brinjals so that they can get evenly cooked easily. This dish is best cooked in mustard oil but I have used the regular cooking oil.

This has been adapted from Bharwan Baingan in MasterChef Sanjeev Kapoor's Khanna Khazana show. 

We enjoyed this with both rice and rotis.

Ingredients:-

• Baby Brinjals, small-sized, 8-10
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Dry Mango Powder (Amchur), 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tbsp
• Garam Masala Powder, 1 tsp
• Onions, medium-sized, 2
• Asafoetida ( Hing), 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Garlic Cloves, 6-7
• Fresh Tomato Puree, 1 cup
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 2 to 3 tbsp
• Light Green Chilli, 1 (non-spicy variety) 
• Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish

 Method:-

Wash the brinjals and make 2 slits at the base of each of the brinjals keeping the stalk intact

Keep the brinjals in water adding a little salt till they are used

Grate the onions, and chop the garlic cloves,

Prepare fresh tomato puree

Cut the light green chilli

In a bowl, mix together chilli powder, turmeric powder, amchur powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt

Stuff this mixture in each of the brinjals and keep the remaining mixture aside for use later

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and on medium heat shallow fry the stuffed brinjals, rotating them so that they are evenly cooked, for 5-6 minutes. Keep aside

In the same kadhai, add the grated onions, and asafoetida, and sauté till the onions turn a golden brown

To this add the cumin seeds and chopped garlic cloves and sauté for a minute

Now add the tomato puree and mix well

Cover and cook on medium/low heat till the oil separates

Mix in the remaining spice powders

Add the shallow fried brinjals, sprinkle a little salt and add the cut green chilli

Cover and cook for about 10 minutes on medium/low heat

Switch off the gas

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves

Transfer to serving bowl

Serve hot with rotis/rice