Bharwa Baigan - Stuffed Eggplant / Brinjal Recipe

 

Eggplant or Brinjal is a plant fruit grown world wide, mainly used as a vegetable for cooking, and a variety of dishes and recipes can be made using baigan (in hindi), eggplant (usa english), brinjal (south Asian english).

The most common recipe with brinjal is eggplant fitters (begun bhaja in bengali), much liked by bengalis and many other caste in India. Though am sure you will be surprised and amazed to know that brinjal is botanically termed as a berry and has variety of names like begun in bengali, brinjal in south Asia and Africa, eggplant in USA, Australia, New Zealand and Aubergine in UK and western Europe.

Today we will stuff this fruit and make a stuffed eggplant / bharwa baigan recipe. So what are you waiting for, Let's Begin........

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1 small garlic (whole not cloves)
• 1/2" ginger
• 1/2 sized dry coconut (alternate: fresh coconut)
• 2 tbsp peanuts (mungfali / singh dana)
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds (til)
  
• 3 green chillies 
• 250 g small brinjal / eggplant / aubergine
• 2 bunch of lemon grass (for steaming)
• 1 big size potato
• 1 bunch fresh coriander leaf

Steps:

1. Dry roast the peanuts and sesame seeds.
2. Let them cool down.
3. Peel off the peanut skin.
4. Add them to a mixer grinder.
5. Add all other ingredients (garlic, ginger, chillies, dry coconut).
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Make a paste, dry paste without water.
8. Keep it aside. 

Now,

1. Cut the brinjal from bottom to green part, horizontally, as a cross so that they split in 4 sides but stays together from top.
2. Put them in a bowl of salty water, so that they do not get dioxide.
3. While cutting the brinjals, make sure you do not get insects or worms inside it, and if by any chance you get worms inside any brinjal then discard that one.
4. Stuff the brinjals with the dry paste we made.

 

 

Then,

 

1. Take a big bowl or deep pan.
2. Fill it with the lemon grass.
3. Add 2 - 3 glasses of water.
4. Add potato (cut in halves).
5. Set potato pieces on top of the lemon grass in such a fashion that it also acts as a stand.
6. Add stuffed brinjals, kept on a plate.
7. Place the plate on top of the potatoes.
8. Close the lid
9. Steam the items in medium heat for 10 - 12 minutes or max 15 minutes.
10. Once done, take out the brinjal and potato pieces (which are steamed cooked now) and do not throw the lemon grass water (we will use it in our gravy preparation).

Next, let us make the gravy.

1. Heat up a pan and keep flames medium.
2. Add 4 tbsp oil
3. Once oil is heated.
4. Add 1/2 tsp hing (asafoetida) 
5. Add left over green paste (after stuffing the brinjals, some of the paste would be left)
6. Add lemon grass water (as required)
7. Mix and stir well.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Cook until the gravy starts separating from oil or gravy starts releasing oil. 
10. Add steamed potato pieces.
11. Cook for 5 - 7 minutes with lids closed.
12. Add steamed stuffed eggplants.
13. Mix well, so that the gravy coats the brinjals.
14. Cook for another 10 - 12 minutes with lids closed in low flame.

 

Take it out on a serving bowl and garnish with some fine chopped coriander leafs. 

 

 

 

Bharwa Baigan - Stuffed Eggplant | Stuffed Brinjal is ready.