Bharwa baingan is a great way to give your taste buds a workout and expand your understanding of what food can be. It is essentially a stew made using small brinjals – which are eggplants. The dish is prepared in the Punjabi style, making it intensely flavorful and savory. It is the perfect thing to eat for vegetarians and vegans or people who have a meat restricted diet because eggplants are a great source of protein.
Bharwa baingan taste great when they are served hot. Pack them in an insulated Lunch kit or kids lunch box so it will remain fresh and warm for a few hours.
Health Benefits
Bharwa baingan is a great way to explore the amazing and tasty world of brinjal or eggplant dishes. Brinjals are some of the best non-meat sources of protein available. Besides their protein content, eggplants are also prized for their antioxidant content. The pigment that gives eggplants their color contains anthocyanins. They protect the cells against free radicals which can damage cells and cause cancer. The antioxidants in eggplants also reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Ingredients
small eggplants: 9-10
chana dal/bengal gram lentils: 2 tbsp
peanuts: 2 tbsp
fennel seeds powder: 1 tbsp
cumin seeds powder: 1 tbsp
amchur powder: 1/4 tbsp
coriander powder: 1 ½ tbsp
garam masala powder: 1/2 tbsp
degi mirch/red chili powder: 1 tsp
turmeric/haldi: 1 tsp
salt to taste
mustard oil: tbsp
oil: tbsp
medium sized tomatoes – chopped: 2
asafetida: 1 pinch of
cumin seeds: tsp
How To Make Bharwa Baingan
- Dry roast chana dal and peanuts at a medium low temperature.
- Continue until the dal and peanuts turn slightly brown in color, about 2-4 minutes.
- cook until you could smell the aroma.
- Note: Be careful not to burn them or they’ll taste bitter.
- Maintain the heat at the lowest setting.
- Allow the chana dal to cool completely.
- Transfer the chana to a grinder.
- Grind into powder.
- Combine rest of the dry spices in a bowl along with the powdered chana mix.
- Add oil and mix well.
- Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Wash and clean the eggplants.
- Carefully make a cross (x) cut in all the eggplants.
- Note: Make sure not to cut through.
- Stuff the eggplants with the dry mix.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add cumin seeds and hing and cook until they begin to crackle.
- Add stuffed eggplants.
- Cover the pan and let it cook.
- Regularly check on the eggplants while flipping them in between.
- Note: About 8 minutes into cooking, eggplants will become soft.
- Add the tomatoes and dry peanut-dal masala.
- Add the green chilies and water.
- Mix thoroughly, cover, and cook until the eggplant is cooked through completely.
- Toss and turn eggplants carefully every 3-4 minutes.
- Check if the eggplant is cooked using a paring knife.
- Note: If the knife slides smoothly through the eggplant, it’s done.
- Adjust seasonings and add chopped cilantro leaves.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Trivia
Eggplants are not vegetables; they are berries.