Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Bagara Baingan (Nune Vankaya Kura)

Do you remember my post about stuffed brinjal curry with peanuts and sesame seeds? In that post, I also mentioned different kinds of stuffing that I know. Here is another type of stuffed brinjal curry, I am calling it by Hindi name – ‘Bagara Baingan’ – This time with purple brinjals, stuffing made with dals and fresh coconut and cooked in a pan. The stuffing doesn’t taste very good when pressure-cooked. So for this kind, I make it in a pan, like how they do it back home.

Fresh Coconut, tamarind, purple brinjals, roasted dried red chillies, cashews and mix of chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin  - ingredients for Bagare Baingan
Recipe:

Small, fresh, young, blemish free brinjals – 8 to 12

Roasting for stuffing and gravy:

Chana dal and urad dal – quarter cup each
Black peppercorns and cloves – 4 to 6 each
Dried red chillies – 6 to 8
Cumin, coriander seeds & methi seeds – 1 teaspoon each
Roast them in an iron skillet till golden. Mix them with
Fresh or dried coconut – 1/2 cup
Tamarind juice and powdered jaggery – 1 tablespoon each
Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
My addition: One fistful of roasted cashews
Ginger garlic paste and roasted red onions can be added to this mix.

Make a smooth paste of all the above ingredients without adding any water. Divide it into two portions. One for stuffing the brinjals and the other portion is for making the gravy.
Purple brinjals stuffed with roasted dal- coconut-cashew paste
Stuffing:

1. Wash to clean up the wax coating on brinjals. Neatly cut and remove the stem of each brinjal.
2. Starting at opposite side of stem, make a plus (+) shaped cut towards the stem side, but not all the way through. (See the photo above, to get an idea)
3. Gently separating the brinjal petals, fill the narrow gap with the prepared paste.

Cooking:

1. In a big, wide, flat pan – heat one tablespoon of peanut oil, do the popu or tadka (toasting one teaspoon each of mustard seeds, cumin, curry leaves and minced garlic).
2. Arrange the brinjals – stuffing side up, neatly in rows. Cover and cook them in their own moisture for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat or until they soften. The younger the brinjals, the faster they cook.
3. Once you are sure that brinjals are tender and cooked, remove them carefully without disturbing shape onto a serving dish.
4. Pour the remaining paste that was kept aside to the pan. Mix it with half glass of water. Sprinkle in turmeric and adjust the salt, spice (red chilli), sour (tamarind) and sugar to your taste. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes on low medium heat, until the gravy thickens.
5. Now put the brinjals back into the thickened gravy. Cook for another couple of minutes.

With rice or roti, this curry is a party favorite and a crowd pleaser.
 Stuffed Brinjal Curry (Bagare baingan, Nune vankaya Kura) with rice

Bagara Baingan with Rice ~ Our dinner today.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Amma & Authentic Andhra,Cashews,Chana Dal,Coconut (Fresh),Urad Dal (Washed),Vankaya (Brinjal) (Thursday December 29, 2005 at 9:56 pm- permalink)
Comments (35)

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35 comments for Bagara Baingan (Nune Vankaya Kura) »

  1. Hello Indira,

    mm…….looks yummy….i have been going through ur blogs daily and me being a novice in cooking, i really find ur blog and a couple of other blogs too very helpful and am really enjoying cooking now. Really ur doing a gr8 job….

    Get going…..:-)

    Comment by deepa — December 29, 2005 @ 10:55 pm

  2. Hi Indira:

    What a coincidence! I was actually looking at your other stuffed brinjal recipe earlier this evening to make the curry. Since I have purple brinjals at home, I will try this recipe with fresh coconut! It sounds yummy and I love your idea about removing the stem totally they look perfect that way 🙂

    Sam

    Comment by Samatha — December 29, 2005 @ 10:59 pm

  3. The picture is too good:) I have tried the other recipe of yours. Will try this soon!!

    Comment by Priya — December 29, 2005 @ 11:14 pm

  4. 😀 This looks too good. I am a huge stuffed vegie freak. I love stuffed eggplants, stuffed okra, stuffed potatoes etc among other dishes.

    thanks Indira – will surely try this soon. These pictures make it look soooo tempting!

    Comment by Nupur — December 29, 2005 @ 11:27 pm

  5. Great results Indira. I didnt know baghara baingan could be made this way also. We make it slightly different. Will try out this way to see the subtle difference.

    Comment by VK Narayanan — December 30, 2005 @ 4:02 am

  6. It’s funny how much I love eggplant dishes now, given that until I was 21 I hated them. It was Indian cuisine that first got me to like them, specifically the dish Baingan Bharta. Since then, my love for eggplants has extended to all sorts of entrees. Thanks for yet another wonderful recipe.

    Comment by Verdant — December 30, 2005 @ 9:38 am

  7. Hello Deepa… I’m glad that you are enjoying and finding the recipes useful. Looking forward to seeing feedback from you on my recipes. Thanks!

    Hi Sam…do let me know how it turns out. Thanks!

    Priya… this is how they make stuffed brinjal in coastal region of Andhra. I did add jaggery and cashews but they don’t. Very different taste, try it out.:)

    Nupur…then you have to try this recipe.
    stuffed potato… that’s new to me. I’d love to try out the recipe, please share it with us in your blog.Thank you!

    VKN…this one is different from my earlier one, in that, no peanuts or sesame seeds in this version. Tastes equally good, you have to try it.

    Verdant…I was like you, didn’t like it until I reached my 20’s. Liking brinjal is a sign of maturity, I say. 🙂

    Comment by Indira — December 30, 2005 @ 9:56 am

  8. These stuffed mini eggplants look absolutely adorable indeed! I’m sure they’re delicious, will hope to try making them soon!

    Comment by Pille — December 30, 2005 @ 4:25 pm

  9. I tried this recipe out. It came out really well. My husband is a big fan of eggplants and he loved it. Usually I shun recipes which appear like a lot of work but this one was not so hard, I think doing the tadka and then letting the eggplants cook was scary because it burnt the curryleaves and the mustard, but in the end it did turn out right and tasted very good. Thanks for sharing it. You have lovely pictures of your recipes which makes your site quite addicitve to visit.

    Indira says…
    I’m glad it turned out well, Simi. In old days as the name ‘ nune vankaya’ suggests, they literally cook the eggplants in one to two ladlefull of oil first. That was when, people had to make the stuffing manually without using blenders. Now, we can’t justify that excess, can we?:) If you cook like that, then there is no blackening of curry leaves etc., I also added one tablespoon(big spoon) of oil, a lot, that was. More than one teaspoon of oil is an excess and an indulgence in my dictionary. Even with less oil, it turns out tasty and you know that already. 🙂
    Thanks for letting me know, your input is much appreciated.

    Comment by simi — January 4, 2006 @ 7:45 pm

  10. Greetings from Down Under! This is my first time here, and I am so pleased to have found your blog! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this recipe and will certainly be browzing around this space. I would have to be very ambitious to attempt this famous Hyderabadi dish, but I will … one day. Question for you: Since I am not a great cook and “tadka” is a guess, wait and watch thing – either I burn it black or stand around waiting ages for the seeds to splutter – how do you know when the oil is hot enough to throw in the seeds ?

    Comment by ritu — January 6, 2006 @ 6:38 pm

  11. Just wanted to ask if the chana and urad dal need to be cooked before adding to the paste? In my experience Urad dal always takes ages to soften, but I suppose it must be different if blitzed to a powder. Fantastic site – I normally go to Tooting in South London for South Indian and Sri Lankan food.

    Comment by Alexander Morrison — January 7, 2006 @ 5:59 am

  12. Indira, I’m about to try this recipe. How much is the size of the cup you use to measure the dal? One cup is usually 225 ml..and that seems huge for this recipe. Am wondering what to do… Maybe you mean a small katori?

    Comment by Kay — January 12, 2006 @ 4:45 pm

  13. Hi Kay, more than the brinjals, we like the gravy, that’s why I gave those measurements. For 8 brinjals, try half cup (US cup measurement) each, urad dal and chana dal and quarter cup of coconut. I think with these measurements, you’ll get sufficient amount of paste/powder for stuffing the brinjals and also for the gravy.
    I hope I’m not late, I was out for some time this afternoon, didn’t check your message till now.

    Comment by Indira — January 12, 2006 @ 7:04 pm

  14. Indira, I did end up using half a cup of those dals, and it turned very good. 🙂

    The taste of the gravy was somewhat similar to coconut thuvaiyal (same ingredients for masala used here) and it was very different from our usual brinjal curry! Thanks for posting the recipe.

    Comment by Kay — January 13, 2006 @ 12:07 pm

  15. I forgot to mention this is the first dal based sauce I saw in a recipe, so I was a bit unsure how it will turn out, but it turned out very well 🙂

    Comment by Kay — January 13, 2006 @ 12:08 pm

  16. Wondering how you powder the dal etc or make a paste out of it?
    Looks good.

    Indira replies,
    I use a Indian type of mixer to powder them finely. US style food processor works just fine.
    Thanks!

    Comment by heycarrie — February 11, 2006 @ 4:06 pm

  17. Do you have a Sumeet Indira

    Indira replies:
    Hi Tilo, yep, you name it I got it. 🙂
    Accumulated all kinds of grinders/blenders, stone mortars ‘over the years’. People would faint if I show all of them here. 🙂

    Comment by tilo — April 6, 2006 @ 11:40 am

  18. Hi Indira,

    This recipe of stuffed brinjals looks delicious. May I suggest something. Whenever cooking stuffed veges (such as this and any other with little or no water, it helps to place a lid with water to cover the utensil. This way, the bottom of the vessel will not get scalded.

    Cheers
    Nirmala

    Indira replies:
    That is a very good tip, thanks for sharing, Nirmala.

    Comment by Nirmala — May 25, 2006 @ 6:35 am

  19. Before I try it, I have a question here. Could you please let me know whether I have to powder the cashews and the coconut.

    Thanks.

    Indira replies:
    Everything under the ‘Roasting for stuffing and gravy’ Deepa, including the cashews and the coconut.
    If you try, let me know how you like it, thanks and happy cooking.

    Comment by Deepa — May 30, 2006 @ 1:47 pm

  20. hi , thanks for writing this recipie..me and my husband love this bagara baingan…but i did not know how to cook…i asked many people(telugu) and they said its a secret..so i couldn’t learn…..thanks alot

    Comment by astha — June 16, 2006 @ 6:29 pm

  21. Hi Indira,

    I really like the way you post detailed recipes. I have recently started cooking myself and tried out this recipe. The taste was good but the curry never got a brown color even after I left it on stove for a long time. I have had this problem when I cooked few other gravy recipes earlier. Is it because I use non-stick cookware that the curry never gets a nice brown color? What type of cookware would you suggest for indian curries? There are so many brands out there that I just do not know which one to use!!

    Comment by nimmi — July 7, 2006 @ 1:57 am

  22. Add a little oil (I used olive oil) to the mixer while grinding the paste, and the paste becomes very glossy, soft, and smooth.
    Also I thought Urad dal could be skipped and Cashews could be reduced from one fistful to like 4 or 5, this will get the gravy the right spice blend and won’t go bland.

    Comment by Sailaja Ramesh — January 20, 2007 @ 12:39 pm

  23. Hello Indira,
    Loved your website, and got a chance to try your Bagara baingan. Normally i never follow the recipe to the dot, and usually use my judgement to make them. In this case, I followed your recipe to the t, and it did not come out like ur pictures. Your 1/2 cup of dals seems to be a lot and ur picture of them shows them more like a tablespoon each. Correct me if I’m wrong, as I want to perfect this recipe and make it right the next time.
    Thank you…

    Comment by Sivapriya — February 3, 2007 @ 6:19 pm

  24. […] Posted by Annita on March 15th, 2007 Bagara baingan/Stuffed Eggplants is indeed a deliccacy where young and fresh brinjals are stuffed with grounded peanut-coconut mixture and cooked in a pungent,rich and creamy sauce.The following recipe is from Indira of Mahanandi,I followed her recipe mostly from A to Z ,and i must say it was outstanding. Thanks again, Indira. […]

    Pingback by Bagara Baingan/Stuffed Brinjals « My Treasure…My Pleasure — March 15, 2007 @ 2:49 pm

  25. Dear Indira,
    I am seeing a website first time with so many Telugu recipes. just now I was going thru Tarla Dalal’s website, then I went into syvum website for Baghara Baigan recipe. Mee vantalu chaala
    bagaunnayi.Thanks for making this site useful. I will recommend to all my telugu friends to use this site for discovering and contributing more recipes.
    I wonder if I could use Putnala Pappu instead of chana dal???
    vijay peddinti
    Toronto

    Indira replies:
    Hi Vijaya, thanks for your kind words about Mahanandi.
    Yes, we putnala pappula tho kuda chaala baguntundi. Tappakunda chesi chundandi. Uppu, kaaram adjust chesu kondi pappulaku taginatluga. Ela kudirindo tappakunda malli comment raayandi.

    Comment by Vijaya Peddinti — April 22, 2007 @ 8:25 am

  26. hi, what a wondreful recipe. very nice. my mouth waters on seeing this.

    Comment by suchi — May 10, 2007 @ 1:36 am

  27. Indira,

    your recipes are really wonderful. Thanks for the wonderful Bagara Baingan. I used to do it in a different way ( i will post/give you the link sometime later), but your recipe is really tasty. Thanks …

    -Shashank

    Comment by Shashank — July 9, 2007 @ 5:53 pm

  28. hai
    an amazing dish..this my first time on this site.. must say ur explanation is very simple & easy to follow..u make hard work sound easy..the taste was terrific..my hubby who used to hate eggplants..has started loving it..thanks to u..waiting for more new receipes frm u..kp up the good work.
    jay,USA

    Comment by JAY — August 30, 2007 @ 9:18 am

  29. hi..
    when i went thru your site..i could remember by mothers grand mothers cooking style..happy to rewind my thoughts..
    thanks.

    Comment by lavanya — December 6, 2007 @ 6:03 am

  30. Good day. Your site is fabulous. I love Indian cooking, though recipe books are usually regional. Your site seems to cover everything. Thanks for doing this.

    Comment by Valerie — February 24, 2008 @ 8:26 am

  31. Hi Indira,

    I adore your recipes..staying in NY all by myself and having never cooked before in india, your blogs are a phenomenal help. I have a boyfnd as he loves my cooking and craves for my food. He thinks I cook well by defult and anything I make tastes yummy.. poor guy doesn’t know that I look at ur blogs for every recipe I have made…thanks so much and keep posting more recipes.. FYI – I am from hyd..thanks again 🙂

    Comment by Priya — March 10, 2008 @ 6:42 am

  32. Indira,

    Could you please let me know where can i find the serving ware like the one which is in photo

    Thank you.

    Hi Lakshmi.
    They are from corningware company. Many shops like Wal-mart, Kmart, and Mall shops carry servingware of this brand here in US.
    -Indira

    Comment by lakshmi — March 10, 2008 @ 7:09 pm

  33. Hi,
    Just finished making this dish..followed your recipe. Have never tasted/seen this dish before..has a very different taste. Cannot decide on serving it with rice or roti. Thanks a lot for your really detailed helpful recipes. I made such a mess getting the filling into the brinjals..really admire how neatly you have done it.

    Comment by Radhika — March 19, 2008 @ 2:18 am

  34. HI
    The picture is too good:) I have tried this recipe of yours. It comes out very tasty.

    Comment by Kavitha — December 13, 2012 @ 8:52 pm

  35. Thank you for posting this recipe! I’ve wanted to make it for the last 10 years but never had the ingredients or the equipment. The first time I tried to make it I thought you cooked the lentils before making them into a paste – turns out it’s really difficult to grind raw lentils in a mortar and pestle! Now I have a Braun coffee grinder that I use for spices and it worked great. I’m so glad that you kept this blog up so I was finally able to make it! So tasty!

    Comment by Rosie — March 16, 2017 @ 6:32 pm

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