Bharela Ringanભરેલા રીંગણ
Small brinjals stuffed with a masala of gram flour, coconut, peanuts and spices, then cooked gently until they collapse into the filling. It is a dish for a relaxed evening, and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
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- 8 small brinjals
- ½ cup gram flour, dry roasted
- ¼ cup grated coconut
- 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts
- 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sugar, lemon juice, salt
- Oil, mustard seeds, cumin, asafoetida
- Coriander
Method
- Slit each brinjal into quarters from the base, keeping the stem end intact.
- Mix the roasted gram flour, coconut, peanuts, spices, sugar, lemon juice and salt into a stuffing.
- Stuff each brinjal and keep the leftover masala aside.
- Temper oil with mustard seeds, cumin and asafoetida, then arrange the brinjals in the pan.
- Add the leftover masala and ½ cup water, cover and cook on low for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan now and then.
- Finish with coriander and serve with rotli.
Tips
- Roast the gram flour first or the stuffing tastes raw.
- Shake the pan instead of stirring so the brinjals stay whole.
- It tastes even better reheated the next day.
Storing and reheating
These keep two days in an airtight box in the fridge and the flavour actually deepens overnight. In summer or the monsoon do not leave them out more than four or five hours. To reheat, sprinkle two tablespoons of water into a pan, cover and warm on low heat. Dry direct heat makes the stuffing catch and burn on the bottom.
What you can swap
- No fresh coconut? Use poppy seeds or extra crushed roasted peanuts. You lose some sweetness, so add a pinch more sugar.
- For a peanut allergy, crushed roasted sesame seeds hold the stuffing together, with a slightly bitter-sweet note instead.
- Lemon juice can be ¼ tsp amchur or 1 tsp tamarind pulp. If using tamarind, add it with the water rather than into the stuffing.
- No small brinjals? Cut a large one into thick rounds and sandwich the stuffing between two slices, then cook the same way.
What to serve with it
With bajra rotla and a knob of butter this is a Gujarati winter meal. It works with rotli or bhakhri too, and a glass of chhaas alongside makes it a full thali. In undhiyu season many households use this same stuffing.
Mistakes to avoid
- Do not slit the brinjals too deep. Leave about half an inch joined at the base or they fall open while cooking and the stuffing drops out.
- Do not stack the brinjals. Use a pan wide enough to hold them in one layer, otherwise the bottom ones go to mush while the top ones stay raw.
- Go easy on salt in the stuffing. Gram flour seems to absorb it, but it tastes saltier once cooked.
- Stop lifting the lid. The steam is what cooks the brinjals, and letting it escape each time leaves them firm even after 25 minutes.
Questions people ask
Why do my brinjals taste bitter?
Older brinjals with large seeds are the usual cause. Pick small ones with shiny skin that feel light for their size and give slightly when pressed. Soaking the slit brinjals in salted water for ten minutes also pulls out some bitterness.
The stuffing keeps falling out. What am I doing wrong?
Do not pack it in too tightly, and keep the slits short of the stem. While cooking, shake the pan by the handles instead of stirring with a spoon. A little stuffing escaping into the gravy is normal and is what thickens it.
Can I make this with less oil?
Yes, two or three tablespoons is enough for the tempering. With less oil you will need a little more water and will have to shake the pan more often so nothing sticks.
