FOOD : ooSSome Gravies : The Bharli Vangi

Hello Friends,

Finally, ive gotten onto a platform, which I've been wanting to do, I dont think im too good with this, but anyways would like to share what I have been doing. I feel its easy to explain what you put and how u make, but the passion that has to go while cooking, cannot be explained. I've always believed that ambience plays a role into everything. Ambience may hold too much importance in my life, perhaps the reason being Im into space making myself. But to me, my kitchen is the place that Im most possessive about. So, the love for the space, transforms itself, into the love for food and cooking though i personally hate to spend more than an hour in the kitchen.

So, finally here I am sharing my recipe of the authentic Maharashtrian dish 'Bharli Vangi' which means stuffed Aubergines. i dont prefer eggplants too much, but its my husbands favourite dish, and he can absolutely forget everything around him, while he indulges.

Starting with this, first of all, you will need Eggplants that are delicately Green, small sized and tender-to avoid too many seeds within. Keep the stalks, they look good in the end after all the cooking. Im pretty bad with listing the ingredients first and then writing in the process, so they go simultaneously in here. So for 2 people, you will need about 6-7 eggplants

Step 01. Preparing the Stuffing and brinjal.

Slit the brinjal into 4, dont cut them too deep, You will have 4 different pieces after cooking them. For the stuffing you will need-1 onion finely chopped, 2 spns of finely grated coconut, coriander leaves finely chopped, coriander powder:1spoon, jeera:1 spoon, chillipowder, Haldi, a coarse paste of garlic and dry red chilli ( keep this prepared in bulk, its a great ingredient for other dishes as well, to give that fierry red color), salt, add a little oil-about a spoonful and mix all just enough to bind them all. Stuff the eggplant with this, and keep aside. there might be a little of the base stuffing that will always remain, its ok, just add it to the gravy later on.

Step 02-The main Gravy

Oil in the Kadhai, (a little more if you can turn a blind eye to the aftereffects of rich cooking), Tip in the mustard seeds, little jeera, green chillies, curry leaves, fry in bout 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped tomato, little chilli powder, haldi, little of that ground garlic-dry chilli paste, and put in the eggplants. A little extra oil, will allow you to fry the eggplant here, to give that rich shine on the surface :-). Throw in that extra stuffing that has remained. Add enough water to cook the eggplants and also to be a part of the gravy in the end. Spoon in some coarsely ground peanuts, for that crunchy feel. It will also blend in with the gravy and give it the smooth texture. Put in salt as per your taste, and little jaggery ( I love it when the 'Masaledaar Khana' is a 'litttttle' sweet) and once done, lots of chopped coriander.

There is also another way to do the above, slightly different, But I love it.

the Stuffing would remain the same, but for the gravy you will need.. 2-3 cloves, coriander seeds, jeera, dry red chilli, garlic-lots, coconut (little), tamarind- fry all of this in oil and grind it in the mixer to have a smooth paste. Now, in oil, fry chopped onions, curry leaves, add this paste, then the stuff aubergines, whole peanuts, add in water, salt, jaggery and cook. Coriander leaves go in the end.

This beautifully accompanies the Bhakris (Bread made of Jowar/Bajra). A few sliced onions, lightly roasted green chillies/Thecha (coarsely ground garlic, greenchilli, salt and oil) on the Thali, will give one the feel of a traditional meal of the Central/Western India.