This Maharashtrian Vangyache Bharit is a smoky flavored preparation of fire-roasted eggplant, mashed and later cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic and green chilies. Best served with some roti, chapati, paratha or naan.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian, Maharashtrian

Ingredients

  • 1 eggplant (- large sized, (vangi or baingan or aubergine or brinjal))
  • 1 tomato (- small to medium-sized, finely chopped)
  • 1 onion (- medium to large, finely chopped)
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves (- small to medium-sized + 1 green chilli, crushed coarsely in a mortar-pestle)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons coriander leaves (- chopped)
  • salt (as required)

Method

Roasting Brinjal

  1. First rinse the brinjal in water first a couple of time. Drain the water.
  2. Give a cut on four sides to the brinjal starting from the bottom and ending up-to an inch away before the stem. Take care not to cut the brinjal completely.
  3. Gently pull apart the cut sides to check for worms or black spots inside the brinjal. If the brinjal is clean, then move further. Or else trash it.
  4. On an open stovetop flame or on top of a grill, roast the eggplant till the skin gets completely charred and the eggplant shrinks a bit in size.
  5. Preferably use a flame proof metal rack with handle and place it on the stovetop burner. Keep the brinjal on top of this metal rack to roast.
  6. Keep on rotating the eggplant with the help of tongs so that it gets cooked evenly and from all sides.
  7. Insert a fork or a knife in the center of the eggplant and check if its turned soft and mushy. If not, then continue with the roasting.
  8. The eggplant should be completely cooked and softened from within.
  9. Remove and immerse the roasted eggplant in a bowl or pan of water.
  10. Let it cool. Then peel the charred skin and discard it. Finely chop the eggplant. It will be mushy.

Making vangyache bharit

  1. Heat oil in a frying pan or a wok (kadai). Add the onions and sauté till translucent on medium-low to medium heat.
  2. Add the crushed garlic and green chilies. Sauté for a few seconds till the raw aroma of garlic goes away.
  3. Add the tomatoes and saute on medium-low to medium heat till the tomatoes become soft and pulpy and the oil starts to leave the side of the mixture.
  4. Add the chopped mashed eggplant. Stir in salt and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes on a low heat.
  5. Lastly add in chopped coriander leaves and stir to mix.
  6. Serve the Vangyache Bharit hot or warm with some chapati or phulka. Also tastes good with bajra or jowar bhakri (flatbreads).

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.