Name: Indian stuffed eggplant (bharli vangi)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 6-7 small Indian eggplants; 1 tbsp avocado oil or any neutral oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; ¼ tsp asafetida or hing; 1 red onion ((finely chopped)); 1 heaping tsp ginger garlic paste ((or blend four cloves garlic and a ½-inch knob of ginger for this recipe)); 4 yellow potatoes ((cut into wedges)); 1 tsp avocado oil or any neutral oil; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 2 dried red chilli peppers ((broken into pieces)); 4 green cardamom pods; 4 cloves; 1 medium red onion ((chopped)); ¼ cup raw peanuts; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; ½ cup grated coconut ((unsweetened)); 4 tablespoons cilantro ((divided)); 1 tbsp goda masala ((or garam masala)); 2 tablespoons jaggery; ½ tsp turmeric; ½ to 1 tsp cayenne ((skip this if very sensitive to heat. You already added the dried red chili peppers)); 2 red onions ((about 2 cups, finely diced, divided)); 2 medium potatoes; Salt to taste

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Stuffed eggplants, called bharli vangi, are a much beloved dish in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. Small, globe-shaped eggplants are cut down the middle, filled with a spicy coconut-peanut stuffing, and simmered until they are butter-soft and delicious.

Stuffed eggplants, or Maharashtrian bharli vangi, in karahi with coriander leaves garnish.

I love eggplants, and they are so good in mouthwatering Indian recipes like baingan bharta and baingan masala. But if I were told I could eat just one eggplant recipe for the rest of my life, I wouldn't hesitate to choose these stuffed eggplants, or bharli vangi.

Bharli vangi (which translates literally to stuffed eggplants or brinjals) is a Maharashtrian delicacy and it is chock-full of all things delicious that belong to this cuisine, like spices, coconut, peanuts and jaggery.

My mother was a Maharashtrian and every Maharashtrian I've ever met has their own special recipe for bharli vangi. This recipe is made my way, the way I love to eat it. It is so, so tasty and even if you don't love eggplants, you will love them instantly in this dish.

Table of Contents

Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
How to make bharli vangi
Tips for success
Serving suggestions
Storage instructions
More delicious eggplant recipes
Indian stuffed eggplant (bharli vangi)
Reviews

Why you'll love this recipe

A uniquely delicious Indian recipe. If you love Indian food, you will want to try this recipe at home because it's not one you are likely to find at a restaurant. Sure, it involves a few steps, but none of it is difficult and I will walk you through them with photos. You will be licking your fingers, guaranteed!
So many flavors and textures. The eggplants cook up absolutely sweet, soft and tender, and the potatoes and the peanuts-coconut mixture bring their own delicious textures and flavors to the party.
Allergy-friendly. The recipe is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free and it is divinely vegan.

Ingredients

Small Indian eggplants. Indian eggplants are a deep purple or sometimes a paler purple with white streaks. Pick eggplants that are tiny and have a firm, smooth, shiny skin with no dents or brown spots. I like trimming out the stems when I prep the eggplants because the eggplants I get at the Indian store here in the U.S. almost always have brown stems and not fresh, green stems. If you have fresher eggplants leave the stems in but discard them at the table, when you eat.
Spices: Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, green cardamom pods, dried red chilli peppers, cayenne, turmeric, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafetida. You will also need goda masala (sweet masala), a Maharashtrian style garam masala with coconut added to it. Goda masala is easily found at Indian stores and I will add an affiliate link in the recipe card below. If you can't source it use garam masala instead.
Onions. Red onions are best in spicy Indian foods, but if yellow or white onions are all you have, use those.
Raw peanuts. Peanuts feature frequently in Maharashtrian cooking and they add sweetness, texture and delicious flavor to these bharli vangi.
Sesame seeds. Sesame seeds add more nutty flavor, like the peanuts, and complexity.
Unsweetened grated coconut. Many bharli vangi recipes include both the dry coconut (kopra) and fresh grated coconut. But for this recipe I keep it simple by adding just the fresh grated coconut (which I buy frozen from the Indian store). Coconut and eggplant are a delicious combination - one you can also enjoy in this south Indian bagara baingan recipe.
Jaggery. Jaggery is an unrefined Indian sugar eaten around India. It's made from sugar cane or palm, and because it is minimally processed it has more vitamins and minerals and a lower sucrose content than average granulated sugar. Jaggery is sold in Indian stores in blocks and in jars, in grated form. I usually buy the grated version because it saves me time and is much easier to use than the block version. If you are an aficionado of Mexican food and have piloncillo on hand, it makes a great substitute for jaggery.
Cilantro. Also called coriander leaves.
Ginger garlic paste. If you don't have ginger garlic paste, blend up four cloves garlic and a half-inch knob of ginger for this recipe.
Potatoes. Potatoes are completely optional in bharli vangi and you can leave them out, but I love the combination of eggplant and potatoes in this and many other recipes. The bharli vangi recipes I grew up eating always included potatoes and their creaminess works nicely with the eggplant.

How to make bharli vangi

Indian eggplant sliced into four without cutting all the way through.

To prep the eggplant, make two criss-cross slits in the eggplant, cutting about ¾ths of the way down without going all the way through.

Prepped Indian eggplants in a bowl of water.

Immediately place the cut eggplants in a bowl of water to keep them from discoloring.

Spices frying in wok for stuffed eggplant masala.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok or karahi or skillet. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and dried red chilies, broken into pieces. Saute until the coriander seeds are a light reddish-brown and all the spices are very aromatic, about 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

Add 1 cup of chopped onions to the wok and saute until the onions become soft.

Peanuts and sesame seeds added to onions in wok.

Add peanuts and sesame seeds to the wok and saute for a couple more minutes over medium heat. Remove all of this to a plate and set aside to cool.

In the same wok, without adding more oil, add the grated coconut. Saute, stirring constantly, until the coconut is golden-brown. Don't walk away from it because coconut burns fast. Remove the coconut to the plate with the spices. Add the spices and the coconut to a blender and blend into a coarse paste with just enough water to keep the blades moving. You don't a fairly firm, not runny, masala because you need to stuff this into the eggplant.

Spice ingredients added to blended eggplant masala in bow..

Place the blended mixture in a bowl with a cup of chopped onions, half the cilantro, goda masala or garam masala, jaggery, turmeric, cayenne and salt. Add enough salt -- maybe even more than what you would normally be comfortable with, because this is the only time you will season the recipe. Mix well.

Stuffing eggplants with prepared masala.

Use your fingers to slightly separate the "petals" of the sliced eggplants and stuff in the spice mixture. Get in as much of the stuffing as you possibly can for best flavor because as the eggplant cooks the stuffing will infuse it with all the spices. Stuffing the eggplants is a slightly messy job but it's also fun!

Cumin seeds, mustard seeds and asafetida in pan.

In the same wok or skillet add 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and when they sputter add cumin seeds and asafetida.

Stir in the last cup of onions. Saute until the onions begin to brown.

Stir in ginger garlic paste and saute for a couple more minutes.

Place the stuffed eggplants in the wok in a single layer.

Mix the sliced potatoes with any leftover masala in the bowl and add to the wok, arranging the potatoes carefully on the sides of and between the eggplant. Pour ½ cup of water along the edges of the vegetables. Once the liquid bubbles and boils, cover the pot. Turn heat down to medium low and let the eggplants cook about 15-20 minutes. Add a little water along the edges as needed to ensure the eggplants and potatoes don't stick, or if you want a saucier dish.

Stuffed Indian eggplants or bharli vangi cooked in wok or karahi.

Occasionally turn the eggplants around to check so they cook evenly, using a spoon or small ladle to ensure you don't mash the eggplants or potatoes. Once the eggplants are very soft and a knife in the center of one goes cleanly through, turn off the heat. If you didn't add enough salt earlier, you can try and sprinkle some over at this point and gently mix it in. Garnish with cilantro. Serve hot.

Indian stuffed eggplants or bharli vangi in wok with cilantro garnish.

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Tips for success

Choose the correct variety of eggplant. This recipe needs small baby Indian eggplants. It won't work with any larger or longer varieties, like Italian eggplant or Japanese and Chinese eggplant. The eggplants should be no more than 2 inches in diameter. If you live outside India, you can find Indian eggplants at any Indian or Asian grocery store (my local H Mart stocks them).
Chop the onions at once. You will need onions at three different points in this recipe, but chopping them all at once makes prep much easier.
Use less oil. There has been a long-held belief among Maharashtrian cooks that you need to use tons of oil to make bharli vangi because it creates an attractive "tarri" or a deep-red pool of oil, on top of the cooked dish. I've seen recipes for bharli vangi that dump as much as half to one cup of oil in the pot. While that's all well and good, you don't need that much fat in your body. About 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon, the quantity I use, will yield a delicious -- and attractive -- dish.
Handle the eggplants gently as they cook. You want the eggplants to be very, very tender when they are done cooking, but you also want them to remain whole for the best presentation. Use a spoon to gently toss them in the sauce as they cook, instead of a ladle. This gives you more control and keeps the eggplant from falling apart in the pan.

Serving suggestions

Serve the bharli vangi with one of the following:

Storage instructions

Refrigerate: Store in fridge in an airtight container for up to five days.
Freeze: Freeze up to three months.
Reheat: Thaw and reheat in microwave or on stovetop. Add water if needed and check for salt.

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