Bharli Vangi is a baby eggplant recipe cooked in vegan peanut sauce stir fry. It's a spicy and flavorful dish from Maharashtrian cuisine. Make this Asian vegan curry in just 30 minutes!
A spicy and delicious curry!
Table of Contents
Eggplant lovers?
I am not really a fan of eggplants! But this brinjal curry falls in the category of dishes that I absolutely love.
Eggplants known as Baingan/Brinjal/Aubergine/Vangi are a popular vegetable and a favorite of many. As kids, we used to call it the "King of Vegetables' because of the crown-like stem.
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In fact, there was a children's show on Indian TV back in those days called 'Baingan Raja'. It was based on vegetables and spoke about how each one has a role to play in our lives.
The show talked about why vegetables are important to us and also about the energy and nutrients they provide but in a non-preachy kind of way.
In that show, an eggplant was shown to be the king and all the other vegetables looked up to it.
It was a popular show among kids and we learned a lot from it Do any of you remember that show?
A delicious way to cook eggplants!
Are eggplants good for you?
Eggplants have a unique taste and texture making them the ideal ingredient for a variety of dishes. They are a nutrient-dense food.
They contain a good amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus they are low in calories. They are a non-starchy vegetable, that's low in carbohydrates.
In fact, the textures of eggplant are similar to bacon and can be used as a substitute if you are a vegan.
I add eggplants to my Sambhar to make it more hearty. KR loves Moroccan Eggplant Zaalouk and we make that very often.
While there are many varieties of eggplants available, today we will be cooking with the Indian eggplant variety also known as baby eggplants.
They are known for their small, round appearance and tender texture, and work perfectly for this recipe.
Why make this
This Bharli vangi recipe is my friend's family recipe. There are many versions of this vegan eggplant fry recipe online and each one is different from the other.
But I chose to share my friend's recipe purely because I love how it tastes and I am more connected with her recipe.
It's a simple recipe that's loaded with flavors that everyone will love.
- This recipe requires minimal prep work
- Needs a few basic ingredients that are easily available in the pantry
- It's vegan and gluten-free
- Extremely delicious to taste
- Can be made in 30 minutes
Ingredients needed
Needs just basic ingredients!
Baby eggplants are the stars of the dish. You can find these baby eggplants in any Indian grocery store. If you can't find baby eggplants, use the regular ones and chop them.
Peanuts - Since this is a peanut-based gravy, we need a good amount of it. Use unsalted and roasted peanuts for this recipe.
Goda masala - This is a special spice blend from Maharashtrian cuisine. It's similar to garam masala yet different because it's made with specific spices.
Spices - turmeric powder, mustard seeds, and curry leaves give this curry its unique flavor.
Garlic and cilantro help pack this vegan baby eggplant fry recipe with more flavors.
What is Goda Masala?
Goda Masala is a traditional Maharashtrian spice mix and is made using coconut and many other spices. This spice blend is mildly spicy and adds a lot of flavor to the dish.
It is made using coconut and other spices including cumin, coriander, bay leaves, cinnamon, and stone flower. It's dark brown or black in color which is why it's also known as Kala Masala.
Every family has its own recipe to make it. I pick my stock up from my friend every time I visit home.
It is the key ingredient to make Bharli Vangi. Refer to my tips and notes section to see what you can substitute it with if this masala is unavailable to you.
Here's how to make it
Simple and easy to make!
- Grind roasted peanuts
coarsely and transfer them to a bowl. - Add the goda masala and turmeric powder to it, mix and keep it aside for now.
- Wash the baby eggplants well. You can leave the crown top as-is or cut it off. Slit the base into a plus sign like shown in the pic above.
- Do not slit it all the way through.
- Place the slit eggplants in a bowl of salt + water. Keep that aside for now.
- Heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds, and once they begin to crackle, add minced garlic and curry leaves.
-
- Fry for a minute or till the garlic begins to brown.
-
- Then add the baby eggplants to the pan along with salt. Give it a mix and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now, add the peanut sauce stir fry ground masala to the pan along with water, mix and cover the pan.
- Adjust the water depending on the consistency you prefer.
- Cook on simmer for 10 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Once the gravy thickens and the eggplants are cooked, garnish it with chopped cilantro and it's done!
coarsely and transfer them to a bowl.
, temper mustard seeds
, and once they begin to crackle, add minced garlic and curry leaves.
Serving suggestions
This Asian vegetarian Brinjal curry tastes best with Jowar Bhakri or Bajre ki Bhakri but you can also pair it with any Indian flatbread, bread, or plain steamed rice.
You can pack Bharli vangi in lunchboxes, serve it at family brunches, weeknight dinners, or even weekend meals.
It's so good!
Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions
Roast the dry peanuts first and then coarsely grind them. That gives more flavor. Or simply buy roasted unsalted peanuts from the store.
I have used my friend's homemade goda masala (Ghaati masala - named after the people living in the ghat region of Maharashtra).
I understand that many of you reading this may not have access to this traditional homemade masala, but you can make a quick version of it. It will give you a similar taste.
Mix 1 tbsp each of garam masala, coriander-cumin powder, chilly powder, onion powder, and garlic powder to make your own goda masala.
Alternatively, you can also get this spice blend from any Indian grocery store or from Amazon.
While baby eggplants are best suited for this vegan fry recipe, you can make it with any eggplant variety. If using other varieties, just roughly chop them and use them.
The consistency of this easy peanut sauce stir fry is based on personal preference so add water accordingly. I like it thick and creamy but you can thin it down too.
Bharli Vangi stays well in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also make it ahead of time and store it. You may also freeze it.
A Maharashtrian classic!
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Bharli Vangi | Baby Eggplant Curry Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
To prep the masala
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp Ghoda masala or Ghaati masala
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
To prep the eggplants
- 12 baby eggplants
To prepare the curry
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- 5 curry leaves
- 2 cups water as required
- salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
To prep the masala
- Grind roasted peanuts coarsely and transfer them to a bowl.
- Add the goda masala and turmeric powder to it, mix and keep it aside for now.
To prep the eggplants
- Wash the baby eggplants well. You can leave the crown top as-is or cut it off. Slit the base into a plus sign like shown in the pic above.
- Do not slit it all the way through.
- Place the slit eggplants in a bowl of salt + water. Keep that aside for now.
To prepare the curry
- Heat oil in a pan, temper mustard seeds, and once they begin to crackle, add minced garlic and curry leaves.
- Fry for a minute or till the garlic begins to brown.
- Then add the baby eggplants to the pan along with salt. Give it a mix and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now, add the peanut sauce stir fry ground masala to the pan along with water, mix and cover the pan.
- Adjust the water depending on the consistency you prefer.
- Cook on simmer for 10 minutes. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Once the gravy thickens and the eggplants are cooked, garnish it with chopped cilantro and it's done!
- Serve with any flatbread or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thank you Priya for sharing this. I tried your recipe today and it was so yum! Will definitely become a regular for me. I so appreciated you sharing notes on how to make godi masala. I didn’t have access to original Maharashtrian version but I had all the ingredients you listed. The only tweak I made to the recipe- I added some ginger powder to the masala and added a little bit of tamarind paste to the peanut/masala gravy for tangy flavor!
Thank you so much. So glad you tried this recipe and liked it. 🙂
I grow eggplants in my garden and am always looking for new recipes. This one is a keeper for sure. Thank you!
Oh wow, that is so cool. I would love to have my own veggie garden.
I love eggplants, but I have never tried making it at home. This curry looks amazing!! Bookmarked for later 🙂
Thanks. Do try it.. it's really yum
I'm a big fan of eggplants myself so I never really have leftovers here but I'll definitely try this recipe! We love them in our Thai curries too. 🙂
Oh yes, they taste so good 🙂
this recipe has me salivating. i find eggplants 🍆 so versatile
I agree..very versatile. Thank you.