Bharli Vangi (Stuffed Brinjal) – Maharashtrian style stuffed brinjal recipe

The delicacy with awesome stuffing

Bharli Vangi is a Maharashtrian-style stuffed brinjal recipe where small brinjals are stuffed with a spicy peanut masala and then simmered in a spicy onion tomato gravy.

A regular in Maharashtrian households!

This curry is made in almost all Marathi households. Apart from everyday meals, you will also find bharli vangi in the festive or wedding menus. 

Goda masala, a special Maharashtrian masala is added to this curry which really brings out the flavor and also makes it unique from other similar recipes.

Favourite amongst Marathis!

Bharli Vangi is vegan, delicious, flavorsome and a Maharashtrian favourite!

Few important tips:

Brinjal – You will need small or medium-sized brinjals for this recipe. Use purple or green ones.

For the masala – To stuff the brinjal, you will need peanuts, fresh coconut, jaggery, goda masala, tamarind paste, red chili powder, green chilies, ginger, onion, fresh coriander, and salt. 

Goda masala is one of the main ingredients that add the authentic Maharashtrian touch to this recipe. You can either make goda masala at home or use a store-bought one.

You can adjust the amount of jaggery, depending upon your taste. Also, adjust the number of green chilies as per your taste. Peanuts add a great taste and a slight crunch, which makes it even more delicious.

In some homes, they also add roasted white sesame seeds to the paste.

Other ingredients: Other than the above ingredients, you will need oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, and turmeric powder. 

You can use any vegetable oil for this recipe. It’s traditionally made using cold-pressed peanut oil. If you want the dish to be gluten-free, then skip adding asafoetida to the tadka.

Eggplant it is!

The main ingredient as the name suggests is baby or small eggplants. If not available, you can use the regular eggplants and chop them to make this recipe.

Bharli Vangi tastes good with chapatti, rice or bread.

Let’s get cooking Bharli Vangi!

• Prep Time: 20 mins

• Cooking Time: 45 mins

• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

• Cuisine: Maharashtrian

• Course: Main Course

• Diet: Vegetarian

• Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 500 grams baby brinjals (baingan or eggplant or vangi)

• ½ cup peanuts

• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds

• 1 cup desiccated coconut

• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped

• ½ inch ginger, chopped

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 1 tomato chopped

• ½ tsp. turmeric powder

• ½ tsp. red chili powder

• ¼ tsp. Garam Masala Powder or Goda Masala powder

• ½ tsp. coriander powder (ground coriander)

• ½ tsp. cumin seeds powder

• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional

How to make bharli vangi (stuffed brinjal)

• Wash the baingan (brinjal), slit them into 4 without breaking them and soak in salted water for 20 mins.

• Now dry roast peanuts. As they become brown, add sesame seeds and then desiccated coconut. Roast until all ingredients turn brown and smell fragrant. Roast them separately if you want.

• Let the ingredients cool down. Now put them to a grinder along with chopped onions, ginger and garlic.

• Grind to a smooth paste adding little water. It should not turn very liquidy.

Making bharli vangi:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and fry them until they turn transparent.

• Now add the ground masala to the pan.

• Fry the masala for 2-3 mins.

• Add all the dry spice powders and chopped tomatoes.

• Mix it well with the the masala paste.

• Fry for another 2-3 mins.

• Finally add the chopped brinjal.

• Add 2 cups water, salt and mix the entire curry.

• Cover and let the brinjal cook for 30-35 minutes.

• Keep checking in between and if the stuffed brinjal looks a bit dry, then add some more water.

• Garnish bharli vangi with coriander leaves.

If you have not chopped the brinjals, follow these steps:

• To the ground masala, add all the dry spice powders like jeera powder, dhania powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix the masala paste with the spice powders.

• Stuff the brinjal with this ground masala.

• Heat oil in a pan. add the onions and fry them till they turn transparent.

• Add the stuffed brinjals to the pan.

• Fry for a couple of minutes.

• Add the tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Keep on stirring continuously.

• Add water, salt and cover and cook for 30-35 minutes.

• When the delicacy is ready, garnish with coriander leaves.

• Serve bharli vangi hot with rice or chapati or puri.

Notes:

You can add a few teaspoon of tamarind paste in place of tomatoes.

You can adjust the amount of jaggery, depending upon your taste. Also, adjust the amount of green chilies as per your taste. 

In some homes, they also add roasted white sesame seeds to the paste.

You can use any vegetable oil for this recipe. It’s traditionally made using cold-pressed peanut oil.

If you want the dish to be gluten-free, then skip adding asafoetida to the tadka.

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 281kcal 

• Carbohydrates: 20g 

• Protein: 5g

• Fat: 22g  

• Saturated Fat: 15g 

• Sodium: 223mg  

• Potassium: 580mg

• Fiber: 8g

• Sugar: 10g

• Vitamin A: 50mg

• Vitamin C: 63mg 

• Calcium: 63mg 

• Iron: 2mg

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