Bharwan Baingan And Potatoes

The stuffed brinjal dish is a concept popular across much of the world, from Turkey’s Karniyarik to Palestine’s Mahshi batinjan ala libo and Israel’s Stuffed Eggplant With Israeli Couscous to Italy’s Stuffed Eggplants.

In India, one popular dish to sit alongside these is the Bharwan Baingan, a quick dish to prepare where baby brinjals are stuffed with an assortment of spices. A usual addition to the dish is potatoes, sauteed along with the brinjals, making the dish more wholesome and filling. To make it, one will need baby brinjals, potatoes, turmeric powder, garam masala, chilli powder, dried mango powder (amchur), coriander powder, cumin powder, salt as per taste, and oil for cooking.

Brinjals are indigenous to India and appear in several ancient texts. India’s first known cookbook, the Pakashastra, refers to a baingan recipe. The text is hard to date but estimates agree it came about the same time as the Mahabharata. A study from 2010 also found remnants of cooked brinjal in pottery shards of Farmana, Haryana, among the largest Harappan sites.

Brinjal also has several health benefits. It's rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals, and packed with antioxidants that protect against cell damage. It maintains blood sugar levels, and since it's low in calories, promotes weight loss.