Bharli Vangi (Marathi Stuffed Brinjal)

Brinjal is a very commonly used vegetable in Indian cuisine. It is so versatile that it is used in North and South Indian dishes from Sambar, to chutney and stuffed ones. There are hundereds of stuffed Brinjal recipes in Indian cuisine and this Bharli Vangi is a Maharashtrian version of stuffed brinjal that uses peanuts and coconut which are very commonly used in Maharashtrian recipes. Some people also add sesame seeds to this reciep. However, I have not added them. If you have goda masala, you can add it to bring a burst of flavors to this Bharli Vangi. This Bharli vangi pairs up great with rotis or a simple varan bath (Rice and Dal).

Instructions

1. Make two Slits to the brinjal. Soak them in water until use. Soak lemon sized tamarind.
2. Make a paste of coconut and ginger - garlic paste. Heat a pan and add jeera seeds, when it splutters, add chopped onion and saute till soft. Add grounded coconut paste and cook till raw smell goes off.
3. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Cook until raw smell goes off. Add roasted peanut powder and let the masala cool for a while.
4. Stuff the masala to the brinjal generously. Repeat same for all the brinjal.
5. Heat a pan with oil and arrange the stuffed brinjal to it. Toss until oil coats them. Cook covered for 2-3 min. Open the pan and add tamarind juice with turmeric powder and salt.
6. Let the tamarind smell go off. Season with salt and add leftover masala with water. Cover and cook until brinjal is cooked and gravy is thickened. Serve with roti or rice-dal.