Stuffed Eggplant Potato Onion Curry (Bharwan Baingan Aloo Pyaaz Sabji)

In this bharvan baingan aloo pyaaz sabzi made with Maharashtrian style gravy, instead of all three vegetables any single vegetable can also be used.  Below I have posted the original recipe of Stuffed Eggplant Potato Onion Curry (Bharwan Baingan Aloo Pyaaz Sabji) from Shobha Indani's cookbook 'Swad Sugandh', but keeping everything else as it is, I have cooked only with eggplants (aka brinjal / aubergine), making bharwan baingan here.  This stuffed eggplant sabji (bharvan baigan) with Maharashtrian flavor is very different from the Hyderabadi specialty stuffed eggplants (bangara baingan).

What you need:

For paste:	For sabji:
1 Tbsp Oil	6 small Onions
3 whole Dry Red Chillies	6 small Eggplants (I used 5 though)
1 Bay Leaf	6 small parboiled Potatoes
2 pcs Cinnamon Sticks	2 Tbsp Oil
2 Cloves
2 Cardamoms	For tempering:
1 cup thinly sliced Onion	½ tsp Mustard Seeds
5 cloves Garlic	½ tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp grated Ginger	Pinch Asafoetida
2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro
2 Tbsp grated & lightly roasted Dry Coconut	For garnishing:
1 Tbsp roasted Sesame Seeds	1 Tbsp chopped Cilantro
1 Tbsp Khus-Khus (Poppy Seeds) *I didn't use*	1 Tbsp grated Coconut
¼ cup roasted & shelled Peanuts
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Red Chilly Powder	Serves: 4 – 6
1 Tbsp Coriander-Cumin Powder
½ tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste (I used 1 tsp)

ingredients for bharwan baingan, bharwan aloo, bharwan pyaaz ki sabji

Let’s begin!

Make the paste:

1.       Heat oil in pan; add dry red chillies and fry till slight crisp.

2.       Then add bay leaf + cinnamon + cloves + cardamoms + onions – fry till onion changes color.

saute until onion changes color

3.       Then add garlic + ginger + cilantro, cook 1 minute.

4.       Switch off heat.  Add coconut + sesame seeds + khus-khus + peanuts.  Mix well and let cool.

5.       Remove cinnamon & bay leaf, then grind into a very fine paste using ¼ cup water.

Grind into a smooth paste

6.       Then add turmeric powder + red chilly powder + coriander-cumin powder + garam masala + salt in the paste.  Mix very well, ensure no lumps & keep aside.

Prepare the sabji:

1.       Peel the whole potatoes and onions, slit them to make four petals, taking care not to break them apart.

2.       Slit the eggplants (without peeling & without chopping off the stem) in the same way.

3.       Stuff the prepared paste inside all these vegetables well.  It is perfectly all right if the paste overflows.  Let sit for 10 minutes so that eggplants absorb the flavors.

Make the bharwan sabji:

1.       Heat oil in pan; add the tempering.

2.       When it crackles, add all stuffed vegetables one at a time.  Gently mix for a minute so the oil reaches on all sides to cook the vegetable.  Then add ½ cup water and any remaining paste.  Cover & cook till the vegetables become tender.  Add some more water if required (I used total 1 cup water).

3.       Check every 5 minutes and give gentle mix so the gravy or vegetables don’t stick to bottom of pan, cover & cook again.  It took me about 15-20 minutes.

4.       Garnish the bharwan aloo, bharwan pyaaz, or in this case - bharwan baingan sabzi with cilantro + coconut.  Serve hot with roti.

Bharwan Baingan Curry - Maharashtrian flavor

Enjoy!