Bharli Vangi | Masala vangi is a flavorful and delectable Maharashtrian style stuffed baby eggplant, one that is brimming with a range of flavors and layers of texture! It is popular on the menu for most Maharashtrian festive occasions.
In India, eggplant is referred to as brinjal and known as ‘vangi’ in the Marathi language, ‘bharli’ means stuffed.
In this Maharashtrian stuffed brinjal curry, baby eggplants are stuffed with a mixture of dried coconut, roasted peanut powder, and spices. I love the combination of all the ingredients that go into this dish as it really makes the humble eggplant very tasty!
I happened to taste this dish one fine day during office lunch hours, when my colleague, Tejas got this. Usually, he would hardly carry lunch from home, but whenever he did, the poor guy hardly got to eat any of it, we would all polish it off, so shameless I know 😀
It’s been quite a while since I lasted enjoyed this lovely eggplant dish, Bharli Vangi! My DH spotted some fresh baby eggplants in the Indian store and picked them up, I knew what I was making with them. Undoubtedly, Bharli Vangi it was going to be!
This stuffed eggplant curry is good with some flatbread or as a side with some rice and dal. Even if you dislike eggplant, I’m sure this dish will make you an eggplant-loving convert. So give this dish a try 🙂
The stuffing for the recipe is the same as I’ve shared earlier for the bharli bhendi (stuffed okra) , except this is a semi-thick gravy preparation.
- ENJOYED THIS BHARLI VANGI RECIPE? THEN DON’T FORGET TO TRY THESE BAINGAN/EGGPLANT DISHES TOO
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE BHARLI VANGI RECIPE | MASALA VANGI | STUFFED BRINJAL
- HOW TO MAKE BHARLI VANGI | MASALA VANGI | STUFFED BRINJAL?
- Bharli Vangi Recipe | Masala Vangi | Stuffed Brinjal
ENJOYED THIS BHARLI VANGI RECIPE? THEN DON’T FORGET TO TRY THESE BAINGAN/EGGPLANT DISHES TOO
- Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan
- Doi begun (eggplant cooked in a yogurt sauce)
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE BHARLI VANGI RECIPE | MASALA VANGI | STUFFED BRINJAL
1.Wash the eggplants well. Trim off a little of the stem. Slit the eggplant vertically into 4 from the bottom, right up to the stem keeping it intact. Place the slit eggplants in salted water for about 15-20 minutes. Let’s prepare the stuffing.
2.Roast peanuts on low heat, set aside.
3.Grate dry coconut, roast it on low heat until golden brown, set aside.
4.Chop the onions, and saute in little oil until translucent. Set it aside, let it come to room temperature.
5.In your food processor/ mixer, grind the grated roasted coconut, onions,garlic and roasted peanuts to make a coarse mixture. Add 1-2 tablespoon of water if required. Do not grind to a fine paste.
6.To the above mixture, add chopped tomato, turmeric, chilli powder,cilantro, garam masala , and salt as required, mix everything well.
7.Stuff each eggplant generously with this prepared mixture.
8.Heat oil in a pan, when the oil is hot enough, add the stuffed eggplant, sprinkle a little salt ( go easy on the salt, as we have already added in the stuffing mixture ) shallow fry it on low heat for about 5-7 minutes turning sides once in between. Do not stir vigorously as all the stuffing might come out. ( Well it doesn’t really matter but if you’d like it to look nice, avoid stirring it too much).
9.Now add 1 cup of water to the leftover masala, mix it well. Pour this in the pan & stir very gently to incorporate everything.
- Cover the pan, let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until the eggplants are cooked through and soft, stir once or twice in between. Once the oil floats on top, the gravy is cooked. If the eggplants are still not done, reduce the heat and let it cook. Garnish with cilantro.
HOW TO MAKE BHARLI VANGI | MASALA VANGI | STUFFED BRINJAL?
Bharli Vangi Recipe | Masala Vangi | Stuffed Brinjal
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 1 lb/ approx 500 grams of baby eggplants/brinjals/aubergines, about 11-12 baby eggplants
- 1 cup grated dried coconut
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1 & 1/2 cups sliced onions
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- handful of cilantro/coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 8 small garlic cloves
- 1 & 1/2 tsp red chilli powder/cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- salt, to taste
- 3 to 4 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Wash the eggplants well. Trim off a little of the stem. Slit the eggplant vertically into 4 from the bottom, right up to the stem keeping it intact. Place the slit eggplants in salted water for about 15-20 minutes. Let’s prepare the stuffing.
- Roast peanuts on low heat, set aside.
- Grate dry coconut, roast it on low heat until golden brown, set aside.
- Chop the onions, and saute in little oil until translucent. Set it aside, let it come to room temperature.
- In your food processor/ mixer, grind the grated roasted coconut, onions, garlic and roasted peanuts to make a coarse mixture. Add 1-2 tablespoon of water if required. Do not grind to a fine paste.
- To the above mixture, add chopped tomato, turmeric, chilli powder, cilantro, garam masala, and salt as required, mix everything well.
- Stuff each eggplant generously with this prepared mixture.
- Heat oil in a pan, when the oil is hot enough, add the stuffed eggplant, sprinkle a little salt ( go easy on the salt, as we have already added in the stuffing mixture ) shallow fry it on low heat for about 5-7 minutes turning sides once in between. Do not stir vigorously as all the stuffing might come out. ( Well it doesn’t really matter but if you’d like it to look nice, avoid stirring it too much).
- Now add 1 cup of water to the leftover masala, mix it well. Pour this in the pan & stir very gently to incorporate everything.
- Cover the pan, let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until the eggplants are cooked through and soft, stir once or twice in between. Once the oil floats on top, the gravy is cooked. If the eggplants are still not done, reduce the heat and let it cook. Garnish with cilantro.
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Regards,
Freda
Bharli Vangi Recipe | Masala Vangi | Stuffed Brinjal
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 Cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 1 lb/ approx 500 grams of baby eggplants/brinjals/aubergines, about 11-12 baby eggplants
- 1 cup grated dried coconut
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1 & 1/2 cups sliced onions
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
- handful of cilantro/coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 8 small garlic cloves
- 1 & 1/2 tsp red chilli powder/cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- salt, to taste
- 3 to 4 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Wash the eggplants well. Trim off a little of the stem. Slit the eggplant vertically into 4 from the bottom, right up to the stem keeping it intact. Place the slit eggplants in salted water for about 15-20 minutes. Let’s prepare the stuffing.
- Roast peanuts on low heat, set aside.
- Grate dry coconut, roast it on low heat until golden brown, set aside.
- Chop the onions, and saute in little oil until translucent. Set it aside, let it come to room temperature.
- In your food processor/ mixer, grind the grated roasted coconut, onions, garlic and roasted peanuts to make a coarse mixture. Add 1-2 tablespoon of water if required. Do not grind to a fine paste.
- To the above mixture, add chopped tomato, turmeric, chilli powder, cilantro, garam masala, and salt as required, mix everything well.
- Stuff each eggplant generously with this prepared mixture.
- Heat oil in a pan, when the oil is hot enough, add the stuffed eggplant, sprinkle a little salt ( go easy on the salt, as we have already added in the stuffing mixture ) shallow fry it on low heat for about 5-7 minutes turning sides once in between. Do not stir vigorously as all the stuffing might come out. ( Well it doesn’t really matter but if you’d like it to look nice, avoid stirring it too much).
- Now add 1 cup of water to the leftover masala, mix it well. Pour this in the pan & stir very gently to incorporate everything.
- Cover the pan, let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until the eggplants are cooked through and soft, stir once or twice in between. Once the oil floats on top, the gravy is cooked. If the eggplants are still not done, reduce the heat and let it cook. Garnish with cilantro.
Sambar recipe | Udupi sambar recipe with step-by-step pictures. Sambhar is a South Indian lentil and vegetable stew that tastes delicious with idlis, dosas, or plain steamed rice. This sambar recipe has the perfect balance of flavors, some heat along with tang and a hint of sweetness, just as we like it!
WHAT IS SAMBAR?
As mentioned above, sambar or sambhar/sambaar is a lentil and vegetable based, South Indian stew or soup.
Sometimes sambhar is made with a number of vegetables like drumstick, eggplant, bottle gourd, radish, pumpkin, okra etc and sometimes it is made with just one veggie along with the lentils. It is a perfect accompaniment to idlis (steamed rice cakes), dosa’s (crispy rice crepes), uttapam (pretty much an Indian version of pizza :p) or medu vada (savory Indian donuts :D) and the likes.
Each household and region in Southern India has their own way of making sambhar. Some sambhar recipes use homemade or store-bought sambhar masala, while some involve making a ground paste with coconut, lentils, and spices and that sambhar is known as arachuvitta sambar.
One of my favorite meals is plain steamed rice with piping hot sambhar, an omelette, some crunchy papad, and pickle. Thoroughly satisfying!
I l ove sambhar which has a good balance of mild heat and tang along with a bit of sweetness. This version is more of a Karnataka sambar recipe , the Udupi style sambar tends to have a hint of sweetness with the addition of jaggery. There are different types of sambar prepared differently across regions in the South, but I love this version the most!
When I started my culinary journey, I had quite a few futile attempts at nailing the perfect sambhar. My standard of comparison would obviously be with the sambhar served at my favorite and authentic South Indian, Udupi restaurant in Mumbai. It was a gorgeous orange color & had a perfect balance of all the elements. Since there is no sight of any South Indian restaurant in my vicinity here, I have learnt to make and perfect these delicacies over the years:)
SAMBAR INGREDIENTS
The main ingredients that go into making this stew are
- Toor Dal , though I use moong dal too at times. It works just as well.
- Mixed vegetables . You can add veggies of your choice, but I highly recommend adding drumstick veggie to your sambhar. It lends a very distinct taste! Or make sambar without vegetables, simply skip it if you have none at hand.
- Sambar masala is the most important ingredient that flavors the sambar. It is a spice blend of lentils and whole spices. If you aren’t using this masala you can make a freshly ground paste of coconut, lentils, and spices instead.
- Tamarind extract which helps in adding the required tang, adding jaggery is optional. But I feel it balances out all the elements really well.
- Besides these, you will need mustard seeds, methi seeds, curry leaves for the tempering and other basic spices to add flavor to the sambar.
HOW TO MAKE SAMBAR AT HOME?
- You start off by soaking the dal. Next, pressure cook the dal until it is soft. Mash the dal with the back of a ladle to make it smooth.
- At the same time, you start preparing the tempering and the veggies for the sambar.
- Add the tamarind extract, some jaggery, and the cooked whisked dal.
- Let everything simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to mingle.
Sharing my mum in law’s easy sambar recipe , which is perfect and delicious, just as I like it!
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE VEGETABLE SAMBAR | UDUPI SAMBAR
1.Wash the toor dal under running water, soak in sufficient water for about 30 minutes.
2.Transfer the drained toor dal to a pressure cooker, add 2 & 1/4 cups water along with salt to taste and turmeric powder. Pressure cook until soft and mushy. Whisk the dal to make it smooth (Do not blend).
3.Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, when it crackles add methi seeds.
4.Once the methi seeds turn brown, add red chillies, curry leaves & asafoetida.
5.Add the pearl onions, saute until translucent.
6.Next add in all the veggies, saute on medium heat for 5 minutes until tender yet firm.
7.Now add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder & sambhar masala. Saute the spices well for 2 more minutes, sprinkle little water if required to avoid the spices from burning and turning bitter.
8.Add 1 cup water, mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
9.Add in the churned dal, tamarind extract and jaggery, mix well. Let it boil for further 15-20 minutes. Add water if required. Stir occasionally.
10.Sprinkle cilantro, switch off the heat and serve hot with idli/dosa/uttapams or even plain steamed rice.
HOW TO MAKE SAMBAR?
Sambar Recipe | How To Make Sambar {Udupi Style}
Ingredients1x2x3x
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 3/4 cup toor/arhar dal split pigeon peas
- 300 grams mixed veggies, I used frozen sambhar veggie mix- drumsticks, bottle gourd, okra, tomatoes, eggplants
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- 3-4 green chillies
- 3-4 dried chillies
- A sprig of curry leaves
- 1/2 cup pearl onions
- 1 tomato, diced finely
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 & 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tbsp sambhar masala
- Lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup warm water, extract the pulp, strain, and use
- 1 tbsp grated jaggery/brown sugar, optional
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Wash the toor dal under running water, soak in sufficient water for about 30 minutes.
- Transfer the drained toor dal to a pressure cooker, add 2 & 1/4 cups water along with salt to taste and turmeric powder. Pressure cook until soft and mushy. Whisk the dal to make it smooth (Do not blend).
- Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds. when it crackles add methi seeds.
- Once the methi seeds turn brown, add red chillies, green chilies, curry leaves & asafoetida.
- Add the pearl onions, saute until translucent.
- Next, add in all the veggies, saute on medium heat for 5 minutes until tender yet firm.
- Now add salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder & sambhar masala. Saute the spices well for 2 more minutes, sprinkle little water if required to avoid the spices from burning and turning bitter.
- Add 1 cup water, mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add in the churned dal, tamarind extract, and jaggery, mix well. Let it boil for further 15-20 minutes. Add water if required. Stir occasionally.
- Sprinkle cilantro, switch off the heat and serve hot with idli /dosa/uttapams or even plain steamed rice.
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at aromaticessence77@gmail.com
You can also follow me on :
Facebook @ Aromaticessence
Pinterest @ Aromatic Essence
Instagram @ aromatic_essence77
Twitter @ freda_dias
Regards,
Freda
