Bharwa Baingan (or Stuffed Eggplant) is a popular Indian side, usually served with Roti/Chapatti with Raita/ Yogurt. It is made by
This dish tastes great with roti. Add lentils as a side dish, and you get a complete meal full of nutrition and taste. And the bonus is that very less oil is needed in making the recipe. This is a dry stuffed eggplant or brinjal recipe and is popularly made in Punjabi cuisine all through the summertime.
The post contains Helpful Tips & Tricks to make Bharwa Baingan. But if you're in a hurry, you can also click "Jump to Recipe' under the Heading to go directly to the Recipe Card or click Recipe Card from the Table of Contents below.
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⭐ABOUT BHARWA BAINGAN
Bharwa Baingan means stuffed eggplant. This particular eggplant recipe is made using baby or small eggplants, primarily available in Indian stores. You can make it dry or with curry; both varieties taste amazing.
It is made by first preparing the spice mix. Then this spice mix is added to baby eggplants and later cooking them at low heat. You can also make a dry masala of onion and tomatoes and cook with these eggplants.
The recipe that I'm sharing with you today is a dry recipe of eggplant made only by using a unique spice mix. It goes great with some chapatti/ roti with yogurt or lentils. You can also serve them as snacks with green chutney too.
🔪HOW TO MAKE BHARWA BAINGAN
Make Spice-Mix:
First, you need to make the spice mix by combining different Indian Spices. The spice that you need to make Bharwan Baingan:
- Turmeric Powder
- Garam Masala
- Coriander Powder
- Mango/Amchur Powder
- Cumin Powder
- Red Chili Powder
- Fennel Powder
- Salt
Mix all these spices in a bowl and keep it aside.
Prepare Eggplant
Wash the eggplants and dry them using a paper towel. Don't cut the stems as it helps to pick the eggplants while eating them. Instead, make two vertical slits in the eggplants so it opens like a flower attached to their stem. Try to keep every leaf of equal width.
Stuff the Eggplant
Next, add spice-mix in the eggplants between the slits. The slits should be covered with the spice mix. You can reserve some spice mix to use later.
Cook Baingan
Add mustard oil in the Kadai or in a wok. When it's hot, layer it with stuffed eggplants. Stir it lightly and cover the Kadai. Cook at low heat for 10-15 minutes and stir every 3-4 minutes. Cook until it is soft and a little brown in color.
Lastly, add the leftover spice mix to the Kadai. Stir until everything is well combined, and serve with roti and yogurt.
💭PRO TIPS
- Make sure to use small baby aubergines. They work best for the recipe.
- Use same-sized aubergines for even cooking. If you can't find purple eggplants, you can also use green ones.
- When you cut the eggplant, check-in the cavity just to make sure there are no worms,
- For authentic flavor, use mustard oil. If you don't have it, you can also use olive oil or sesame oil.
- You can also add other veggies like onions, potatoes, etc., to make it more filling.
- You can make the spice mix in larger quantities and use it in other recipes.
STORAGE
Bharwa Baingan works great when you use fresh & hot. You can still store the leftover in the fridge for 1-2 days. Remember, the leftover stuffed eggplants will get softer when you reheat them.
👪SERVING SUGGESTIONS
You can serve these stuffed eggplants with Roti/Chapatti or Parantha. And pair it with yogurt or raita with Indian pickle or green chutney.
🧾FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It is healthy as it doesn't have much oil. But if you make it in the air fryer or in the oven, it will be healthier with hardly any fat.
Yes, this recipe of bharwa baingan is vegan.
Follow the instruction, and instead of cooking in Kadai, cook in the Air Fryer.
Place the eggplants in Air Fryer. Cook at 360 degrees for 8-15 minutes, depending on the Air Fryer. After 8 minutes, flip the eggplants to cook them evenly. Mine usually takes 12 minutes to cook the eggplants.
Before cooking, spray a little oil over the eggplants, which helps in a crispier taste.
🥗OTHER INDIAN SIDES
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Bharwa Baingan
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds Powder
- ½ tablespoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1 tablespoon Amchur/ Mango Powder
- Salt
- Red Chili Powder
- 8 Baby Eggplants
- 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil Olive Oil
Equipment
Method
- Take a bowl and mix all the spices together (including Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala Powder, Fennel Seeds Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Mango Powder, Red Chili Powder, and Salt).
- First, wash the eggplants and dry them using a paper towel. Don't cut the stems as it helps to pick the eggplants while eating them. Make two vertical slits in the eggplants so it opens like a flower attached to their stem. Try to keep every leaf of equal width.
- Next, add spice-mix in the eggplants between the slits. The slits should be covered with the spice mix. You can reserve some spice mix for later use.
- Add mustard oil in the Kadai or in a wok. When it's hot, layer it with stuffed eggplants. Stir it lightly and cover the Kadai. Cook at low heat for 10-15 minutes and keep stirring in every 3-4 minutes. Cook until it is soft and a little brown in color.
- Lastly, add the leftover spice mix to the Kadai. Stir until everything is well combined and serve with roti and yogurt.
Nutrition
Notes
Place the eggplants in Air Fryer. Cook at 360 degrees for 8-15 minutes, depending on the Air Fryer. After 8 minutes, flip the eggplants to cook them evenly. Mine usually takes 12 minutes to cook the eggplants.
Before cooking, spray a little oil over the eggplants, which helps in a crispier taste. SOME TIPS
- Make sure to use small baby aubergines. They work best for the recipe.
- Use same-sized aubergines for even cooking. If you can't find purple eggplants, you can also use green ones.
- When you cut the eggplant, check-in the cavity just to make sure there are no worms,
- For authentic flavor, use mustard oil. If you don't have it, you can also use olive oil or sesame oil.
- You can also add other veggies like onions, potatoes, etc., to make it more filling.
- You can make the spice mix in larger quantities and use it in other recipes.
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