Bharva Baingan/Stuffed Egg Plant(വഴുതനങ്ങ നിറച്ചത്)

Bharva Baingan is Eggplant stuffed with spices.. Onions and grated potatoes are added along with spices to the stuffing to enhance the taste.It is usually prepared with baby brinjals. since i couldn’t find small ones in the local market, i used big ones for making the dish.The filling mixture is rich in vitamin c and iron.This recipe is adapted from Tarla Dalal’s cookbook called “cooking with 1tsp of Oil”  and it  goes well with roti and phulkas.

Ingredients:

1. Brinjal(Baingan) – 3
2. Onion (medium,finely chopped) –1
3. Potato(small,grated) –1
4. Cumin seeds(jeerakam) –1/2 tsp
5. Turmeric powder –1/4 tsp
6. Chilly Powder –1 tsp
7. Bengal gram flour(besan) –1 tsp
8. Chana dal (roasted) –1/2 tsp
9. Tamarind pulp – 1tsp
10. Asafoetida(hing) – a  pinch
11. Jaggery grated (gur) – 1tsp
12. Coriander leaves(chopped) –1/4 cup
13. Oil
14. Salt

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan.Add cumin seeds and asafoetida.When the seeds crackle,add chopped onion and saute till brown in color.
2. Add potatoes,turmeric powder,chilly powder,gram flour and mix. saute for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add tamarind pulp,jaggery,coriander,chana dal,salt and 1/4 cup of water and simmer till the mixture gets dry.
4. remove the stems of brinjal and make criss-cross slits on the brinjals,taking care not to separate the segments.Stuff the slits with the prepared masala mixture.About half the mixture will remain.
5. Combine the stuffed brinjals,remaining masala mixture,salt and 1/4 cup of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
6. Garnish with curry leaves or coriander leaves.
7. Serve hot with Phulkas.