Farm Fresh produce from Saputara converted into a delightful Indian Main Course Veg / Sabzi option with select spices in Maharashtrian style. (gluten free) (Vegetarian)
Vangi Batatyachi Bhaji OR Brinjal and Potato Subzi in Maharastrian Style / Aloo Baingan Ki Sabzi in Maharashtrian style
You may be knowing by now i.e. if you have been following my posts on travel specifically, that I am a huge fan of buying local produce and trying recipes with them. My trip to Kolhapur couple years ago (a very amateur attempt in writing my experience on the blog) led me to making the green chilli pickle with their very famous lavangi green chillies that are spicy beyond belief. Another trip to Dapoli during summers led me to buying (correction – plucking) the mangoes and making two types of relish / pickle / chutney that were based from the Maharashtrian cuisine namely Methamba and Sakharamba.
My recent visit to Saputara led me to buying a lot of fruits (as you may have seen through the pics on the post) especially grapes and strawberries. With the strawberries, I created a dish apt for Valentines – Breakfast Platter of Multigrain Pancakes with home made strawberry syrup and fresh strawberries on the side. I also happened to buy some farm fresh vegetables, namely Potatoes, Aubergines or Baingan and Tomatoes upon my return, as I do with most road travels atleast within Maharashtra and tried to replicate a vegetable that was part of the Gujrati Thali I had at a hotel in Saputara.
Eggplants, baingan or Aubergines are used widely in Indian Cuisine and each State has its own Special. While the North Indian cuisine celebrates the vegetable by smoking it and making it with a spicy masala mixture called Baingan ka Bharta, the South Indians, prefer adding them into their quintessential sambar (tamarind and lentil based dal) or making a Kathrikai Roast or Kara Curry (spicy stir fry veg). The Bengalis love their Begun Bhaja or Eggplant fritters. In Maharashtrian Cuisine, these Eggplants (with thorns specifically) are mainly used for their speciality dish called Bharleli vangi. These varieities have soft flesh and cook really well amalgamating with the spices, especially the Goda Masala which I have used here. They also use these Eggplants or Vangi (In Marathi) to make a simple soulful rice based dish called Vangi Bhaat (Brinjal Rice) that makes good use of the leftover rice spiced up with the aubergines and the Goda Masala and pairs well with any curd based raita or plain Amti / Dal.
Now, the vegetable that we had at the restaurant, though tasted fabulous, had loads of oil so I have tried to make it as healthy as possible at home by using less oil. Also, the potatoes were slightly deep fried (wedges style) and used which I have totally ignored by cooking it along with the other vegetables on low heat.
The potatoes were fresh and tender, hence I decided to keep the skin on and just sliced it. Juicy tomatoes further lend their sweetness with a right balance of tanginess to the dish. Some of the best onions to Mumbai arrive from Nasik so was happy to include the lovely red onions that were so fresh and juicy. Some basic masalas available at home and I could cook a great meal for us, with the husband even commenting that the vegetable tastes exactly like what we ate at the thali restaurant. Job well done? Mission accomplished with low oil cooking!
The recipe doesn’t demand much of your time and can be made for your everyday cooking too. Pair it with some rotis or dal chawal and you have a clear winner on your dinner / lunch table.
Recipe for Vangi Batatyachi Bhaji OR Brinjal and Potato Subzi in Maharastrian Style / Aloo Baingan Ki Sabzi in Maharashtrian style
Prep Time – 15 mins
Cook Time – 20 mins
Serves – 3 nos.
Ingredients
- Brinjal – 4 nos. medium size Sliced
- Tomatoes – 1 nos. Large Sliced
- Onions – 1 nos. Large sliced
- Potatoes – 1 nos. Large or 2 medium sliced
- Roasted Jeera / cumin Powder – ½ tsp
- Coriander Powder – 1.5 tsps
- Goda Masala – 1 tsp
- Red chilli Powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
- Hing – a pinch
- Oil – 1.5 tblsp
- Jeera or Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
- Salt as per taste
- Water – few splashes for cooking
- Coriander leaves for garnish
Method –
- Wash and slice all the vegetables. Soak the Aubergines in some salt water so it doesn’t turn brown until we prepare the pan etc for cooking.
- In a kadhai, add oil and once it heats up, add some cumin seeds and hing.
- Now add the onions and saute it for some time until they are transluscent.
- Add the tomatoes and mix it well. Once they have cooked for few seconds, add the sliced potatoes and brinjal.
- Add the coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and goda masala powder along with roasted jeera powder and mix well.
- Now add some salt, mix well again and let it cook over low heat for atleast 20 minutes. Keep stirring the vegetables in between to avoid them burning at the bottom. Since the oil is less, few splashes of water at regular intervals help in cooking. Don’t pour water, just splash may be a tblsp or so, else it will turn completely mushy.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with some rotis, phulkas or theplas (variety of Indian flatbreads) or any rice variety.
Recipe Notes –
- I have used the Aubergines that had thorns (local variety). You can use any aubergines that you get at your local markets. Just avoid using the fat ones that we use for bharta. Smaller ones are ideal.
- Goda Masala is essential and cannot be skipped. It truly defines the essence of Maharashtrian cuisine.
- Some add a dash of tamarind paste and jaggery to the dish but I have skipped it since I wanted to replicate the dish I had tasted.
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Vidya Narayan
wonderful recipe, I also use 'goda' masala in some dishes like cauliflower and potatoes a Maharastrian friend introduced me to it , will try with brinjal next time , it has a very interesting and delicious flavor !
Next time, try it with Tur Dal and you will be amazed. Just a sqeeze of lime and tiny pinch of sugar, the dal will taste amazing. Goda masala is always at home and its best friend is Brinjal. So I am sure you will love it. I make the cauliflower, potato and peas sabzi using the same masala too along with some freshly grated coconut.. tastes yum. Masalas do so much to a dish right?
Ah! will definitely try that with dal and checkout. I know its amazing how a little goda masala adds that zing to the dish and takes it to another level ! Thank you!
Absolutely. My pleasure dear.
This looks delicious ? I understand that I can’t skip goda masala, what to do if I don’t have it and it’s difficult to get it?
Try adding a mixture of coriander-garlic-cumin-garam masala combo. Thanks so much dear. You have given me an idea to post a recipe for goda masala then. Cheers!
Aloo and baingan is always a winning combo!!!this bhaji looks super delicious!!!
I agree Anusha. thanks dear
Spicy
Haha.. Actually not that spicy . Just looks a bit red due to tomatoes select spice blends.
?
Such adorable little baby eggplants! I've cooked with many varieties, but none so small. I'll have to keep an eye out for them, but in the meantime, that won't stop me from trying your recipe. It looks delicious.
Thanks a ton dear Hannah for the sweet words. These were farm fresh, organic produce and tasted super good, cant describe. Soft and mushy when combined with the potatoes. This was an excellent lunch option. Cheers and thank you for stopping by
This blog is so close to my heart?
Thank you so much Rida!
Never combine aloo with eggplant...sounds interesting Vidya and adding of goda masala surely enhances the taste as the masala itself is flavourful and aromatic, I m damn sure the bhaji pampers the palate??
It definitely pampers well my dear.. Thank you for all the kind words.
Wow, this is an awesome post I make this vegetable often (too often according to the girls) but I never got down to documenting it. Love the introduction and you have a way with words.
Thanks dear.. You wont believe this, I make this often too at home as I and Vangi are kinda inseparable according to my husband. Finally when I got these from Saputara, that i thought why not make and link it to the travel blog post.. would be wonderful for everyone to read about the produce that Maharashtra has to offer. Thank you so much for that compliment, means a lot.
Looks so Delicious!
Thanks a lot!
Aloo gives a nice bite and texture to any baingan dish; this one looks so amazing Vidya 🙂 I have not tasted goda masala but I am sure it lends a nice flavor to any dish. Beautiful dear 🙂 🙂
Thank you dear and I agree with you. Aloo in anything steals my heart away. I am planning to post the recipe of goda masala soon.
This is delicious! Goda masala in eggplant-potato curry is like new to me. Though I like the taste of Goda masala, so, I would love to try.
Thanks so much, do try! I am sure you would love it.
Sure thing!!!
Love aloo-baingan so much and this looks very very delicious and tempting! yumm!
Glad you love it.
This looks absolutely delicious ! I somehow feel like it is my kinda curry that I love to taste, and I am going to look for this goda masala, by the way any suggestion to source this masala?
If you are in India, Amazon has them online. Go for the Kpra brand or Bedekar. You can use them for making brinjal rice, add it in dals so you can be assured of finishing it once u buy it. Hope you love the final product and the taste of the curry. Thank you so much.
Yummy subzi!Am surely gonna make this soon!
Thanks dear so much.