Bharwan Baingan Recipe

4.62 from 18 votes

Abundantly flavored with spices, lentils, and peanuts, this Bharwan Baingan recipe is surprisingly easy to make. Perfect as a side dish for a weeknight meal, these scrumptious and exotically delicious stuffed eggplants with rich deep flavors are loved by all. This is a naturally vegan recipe.

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Total: 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 47kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

DRY SPICES

8 pieces of Small eggplants (brinjals/baingan)

DRY SPICE MIX

1 tablespoon Chana dal Split Yellow Chickpea Lentils
1 tablespoon Peanuts roasted
¾ teaspoons Fennel seeds Powder
½ teaspoon Cumin seeds powder
¼ tablespoon Amchur Powder (Mango Powder)
½ teaspoon Coriander powder
½ teaspoon Red chili powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
¼ teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
- - Salt to taste
⅔ tablespoon mustard oil
1 tablespoon Oil to cook eggplants

GRAVY INGREDIENTS

2 medium Tomatoes, chopped
A pinch of Hing/ Asafoetida
½ teaspoon Cumin seeds

Instructions

Add chana dal and peanuts to a heavy-bottomed pan.
Dry roast dal and peanuts on a medium flame until light brown and fragrant. It will take 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Be careful not to burn them or they’ll taste bitter. Maintain the heat on the lowest setting.
Allow it to cool completely, and then transfer it to a grinder.
Grind it to its powdered form.
Combine the rest of the dry spices in a bowl.
Add pulsed roasted peanut-dal mix to it.
Add oil and mix well. Adjust seasonings.
Rinse baingan/eggplants under tap water until clean. Pat dry with a towel.
Using a paring knife, make a slit in each eggplant. Be careful not to cut all the way through.
Tip – Make a +, or it should resemble like a cross (x) on each eggplant.
Tightly spoon the peanut-lentil blend into each baingan/eggplant. Be careful not to break the eggplant. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds.
Cook the cumin seeds for a few seconds.
Add stuffed eggplants.
Cover and let it cook.
Keep checking and flipping them at regular intervals.
About 8 minutes into cooking, eggplants will become soft; add finely chopped tomatoes.
Add 2 teaspoons of dry peanut-dal masala.
Some green chilies and 2-4 tablespoons of water. Mix, cover, and cook until the eggplants are cooked through. Carefully toss and turn eggplants after every 3-4 minutes.
Take a paring knife and check for doneness. If the knife slides smoothly through the eggplant, it's one.
Adjust seasonings, add chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve hot with warm rotis and dal tadka.

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I store the leftovers of these stuffed eggplants?

Soft and crispy stuffed eggplants taste best when devoured fresh. However, you can store the leftovers for about 3-4 days in an airtight container in a refrigerator.

When ready to eat again, reheat them over the stovetop in a small pan or microwave for easy reheating. However, note that the eggplants may get mushy over reheating, so I prefer serving fresh.

Can I double this recipe?

You sure can! You can completely customize the recipe according to your liking or scale it up or down depending on the number of servings you need. You may cook in batches if preparing this recipe for a larger gathering.

Do not overcrowd the pan; otherwise, the eggplants will not have ample space to cook or get softer and tender.

Can I use chana dal as a substitute?

Chana dal cannot be substituted with besan (gram flour). We need a grainy mixture for this recipe, and besan will make the mixture sticky and challenging to work with.

Nutrition