Bharwan Baingan or stuffed eggplant is a popular vegetarian Indian main dish made with baby eggplants. Each eggplant is stuffed with an aromatic spice mix and then slow cooked in mustard oil to create a delicious and exotic dish.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: eggplant recipe
Servings: 4
Calories: 147kcal
Ingredients
10baby eggplants
4tbspmustard oil
Saltto taste
for the achari bharwan masala (spice mix for stuffing)
1tbspcoriander seeds
1tbspfennel seeds
1tspcumin seeds
1½tspfenugreek seeds
½tspnigella seeds(kalongi)
½tspcarom seeds(ajwain)
4tspdry mango powder(amchoor)
½tspturmeric powder
½tspred chilli powder
Instructions
To make the achari masala (spice mix) for stuffing:
Dry roast the whole spices (coriander, fennel, cumin, fenugreek, nigella, and carom seeds) for a minute or two, until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Grind to a powder in a spice grinder or use a mortar & pestle to grind them to a coarse powder. Add the remaining dry spices and mix well.
Add salt and 2 tbsps of mustard oil and again mix well with your fingers.
Prepare the Eggplant
From the bottom, make two perpendicular slits (in a plus sign) on each eggplant. Cut them till just before the stem.
Rub and fill the achari spice mix inside all the cuts.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp mustard oil in a pan on low heat. Add the prepared eggplants and cook covered for 5 minutes. Open, turn the brinjals, and again cook covered for another 5 minutes. Repeat until the eggplants are cooked evenly from all sides. Sprinkle a few drops of water if you see the eggplants are sticking to the pot.
Remove from heat, garnish with some fresh coriander and serve hot with a flatbread like paratha or methi thepla.
Notes
Check recipe description for stuffing variations.
Nutritional Information is approximate information for 1 of 4 servings.