Vangiachi Bharit – Flame Roasted Crunchy Eggplants
I love turmeric, this is what made me buy this rather attractive looking book The Turmeric Trail. It seemed so different from the other cookbooks on my shelf. I often find them off the beaten path, here there and everywhere. I love cookbooks that I can read and in most cases I do find a recipe or two that works! The only Indian cookbooks that I had this far, were the one or two that I brought back from India. And as my dowry many Madhur Jaffrey cookbooks! From this cookbook, I love the Vangiachi Bharit – Flame Roasted Crunchy eggplants. A Maharashtrian cousin of the classiceggplant bhartha. The major difference is the seasonings and the crunchy peanut finish. A different way to enjoy smoky flame roasted peanuts.
Well, despite wincing a little at it’s price, the book came home (who says you cannot judge a book by its cover!). I am mesmerized by the story. Difficult and challenging to say the least, however on the bright side it brings home the resilience of the human spirit. Raghavan Iyer’s story telling is candid and fills the heart in all the right places. This is the writing! The book comprises of the cosmopolitan culinary bounty of the Mumbai table with a strong accent on South Indian cooking. This is a decisive nod to the writer’s Southern roots! One of my first experiences with a good food memoir.
After a few iterations, I have made this recipe my own. After all, what is a recipe that cannot be personalized.
Now the recipe that I share in this post is not quite identical to the recipe in the book, however, I did start chatting and meandering once I read this book. I actually meshed the cookbook recipe with something that I found from a grocery store person from Western India who was by chance chatting to me about his grandmother’s rendition of the recipe that he enjoyed with hot flat breads liberally smeared with clarified butter.
I actually have also tried this dish at room temperature by sheer accident and have converted the recipe into a dip when appropriate. It tastes great with some warm pita chips. And an absolutely magical way to use summer or early fall eggplants.
Vangiachi Bharit – Flame Roasted Crunchy Eggplants
A chunky and chunky take on flame roasted eggplant.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized eggplants
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 10-15 curry leaves
- 1 medium sized red onion ( about 1/2 cup diced)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
- 1 small bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium sized chopped tomato
- 1/4 cup raw blanched peanuts
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or mint to garnish
Instructions
- On an open flame (grill or gas) roast the eggplants until the skin chars and the eggplant is soft and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- When cooled, carefully remove the shell and set aside the soft flesh, mashing slightly.
- Heat the oil and add in the mustard seeds and wait until the seeds pop, add in the curry leaves and the ginger and onion cook for about five minutes until the mixture softens nicely.
- Add in the eggplants and mix in the salt , cayenne pepper and the red pepper and mash well. Stir in the tomatoes and continue cooking until the tomato is well mixed.
- Coarsely grind the peanuts and add into the mixture and cook for a minute or two.
- Serve garnished with cilantro.