Stuffed Eggplant

Stuffed eggplants are known as bharwa baingan (Hindi), bharli vangi (Marathi) and Gutti vankaya (Telugu). The baby eggplants are stuffed with a delicious, tangy spice mix of coriander seeds, sesame seeds, cumin, fenugreek seeds, cilantro, dried red chilies, garlic, frozen coconut and lemon juice. They are then cooked in oil until the eggplants are tender and done.

Ingredients:

• 10 eggplants
• ¼ cup peanuts
• Oil
• 4 Dried red chilies 
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup frozen grated coconut
• Cilantro
• Curry leaves
• ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 2 tbs sesame seeds
• 2 tbs coriander seeds
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp Hing powder
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbs lemon juice (or tamarind paste)

Method:

• Dry toast and grind the following to coarse paste: take a pan, add oil or you can dry roast them without using oil. Add peanuts and roast them. Then add dried red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, garlic, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and roast them until they change color and leave aroma out.

• One the mixture cools down, grind them together to a coarse paste by adding turmeric powder, frozen coconut, cilantro, lemon juice, salt. And keep it aside.
• Wash and dry eggplants. Make four slits with the base intact. The slit should be in such a way that the eggplant is still holding together. Do not cut off the base, this is mainly to keep the eggplant intact.
• Stuff all the eggplants with the paste. Keep aside the leftover paste

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing powder.
• Let them crackle
• Add eggplants to the pan and stir gently, so as to avoid knocking the filling out of the eggplants
• If needed, you can sprinkle some water to avoid burning eggplants

• Once the eggplants are softer, add leftover gravy paste and mix well
• Cook on low flame with lid
• Keep stirring occasionally
• If you want the curry dry, turn off the stove once egg plants are done
• If you want it with gravy, add water and cook until desired consistency
• Serve hot with roti or hot rice.

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