KHANDESHI VANGYACHE BHARIT

Khandesh is a North Western region of Mahrashtra and it’s well known for spicy and tasty food. One of the famous recipes of Khandesh is its own ‘Vangyache Bharit’.  It is very delicious and popular vegetarian side dish made with baingan/ brinjal/ eggplant. But brinjals used for this recipe are quite different than regular purple colour as shown in the pic at the end of the recipe which are green in colour and available amply in winters. You can have this with Bhakri, Roti or Rice along with mirchi cha thecha and phodlela kanda….!!! Bharta is nothing but a dish made with roasted and mashed Baingan/ Eggplant.  The bharta consists of eggplant, spring onion greens, green chillies, peanuts and coconut slices.  The spices added to the baingan bharta recipe varies from one cuisine to another. The Maharashtrian  [Khandeshi] Vangyache Bharit recipe doesn’t call for any ground or whole spices. It’s spring onion, green chillies and garlic-ginger paste that bring in the taste. The pungency from the spring onions is exceptionally pleasant. Fried peanuts and slice coconut amplify thetaste with their crunchy nuttiness, lending an interesting texture to the bharit.  It is traditionally served with Jowar Bhakri, the flatbread made with Shorghum.  The combo is called as Bharit Bhakri in Marathi and it’s a part os the staple diet in several urban and rural parts of Maharashtra. Let’s take a look at the ingredients and step-by-step picture recipe of Khandeshi Vangyache Bharit.

INGREDIENTS:

½ kg Jalgaon Green Vaangi/ Baingan/ eggplant [see notes]

4-5 Green Chillies[adjust accordingly]

¼ Cup Roasted Peanuts

1 tablespoon Coconut Slices

1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

Chopped Coriander

½ + ¼ Cup Spring Onion Greens, chopped

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

Salt as needed

A pinch of Asafoetida

2 tablespoon Oil

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash and pat dry the baingan. Then prick them with knife and brush them with oil and roast them directly on gas stove on medium flame.[see notes]

STEP 2 – Once the eggplant is roasted well, transfer it in a plate and allow it to cool. Then peel and remove the black skin from it.[I have already shared the recipe of another version earlier so I have not shared the pictures of roasting baingan here.]

STEP 3 -  Mash the baingan and add chopped spring onion in it and mix it well.[see notes]

STEP 4 – Heat oil in a wide kadai, crackle cumin and mustard seeds in it.

STEP 5 – Add peanuts and sliced coconut in it and fry for 1- 2minutes.

STEP 6 – Then add roasted peanuts powder and mix it well and cook for few seconds.

STEP 7 – Add chopped green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and ¼ cup chopped spring onions in it and sauté well.[see notes]

STEP 8 - Now add mashed baingan in it and mix well. Cook it well for 3-4 minutes.

STEP 9 – Add salt as per your taste and mix it.

STEP 10 – Switch off the flame and garnish it with chopped coriander and 

your Khandesh style Vangyache Bharit is ready to serve.

Serve it with chapatti, jowar or bajra bhakri and green chilli thecha along with onion and enjoy.

NOTES: *In village, it is roasted directly over the fire made with cow dunk cakes which gives delicious taste and aroma.

              *In winter we get green big size baingan/ eggplants which are famous in Kandesh region of Maharashtra.

              *In original recipe, they use a wooden mortar pastel  for mashing the baingan which is known as……

              *You can roast and make thecha of green chillies and then use it in your recipe.

              *SPECIAL KHANDESHI VAANGI used for this bharit: