Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan

What is Bharwan Baingan?

In this term, Bharwan baingan, bharwan translates to “stuffed with spices” in Indian, and Baingan, on the other hand, means a small eggplant.

Combined, bharwan baingan means Eggplant stuffed with spices and cooked until tender. Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan recipe

By now you must have noticed that I’m a huge eggplant fan. After potatoes and spinach, eggplant is among my top favorite vegetables. 

I love eggplants in everything ranging from casseroles – eggplant parmesan, to mashed in baingan bharta, as fritters – baingan kachri, and in a gravy – baghare baingan. 

My passion for eggplants started when I had tried it for the first time in a most popular Indian wedding dish – Tawa sabzi, and that’s when I relished its texture and fell in love with eggplants/ baingan. 

So, today, I am going to share one of my mom’s special recipe – Bharwan baingan.

This bharwan baingan recipe is made in the Instant pot for easy cooking, but stovetop instructions are also provided in the recipe. 

What makes this Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan so good for you

If you are looking for an incredibly easy and delicious baingan recipe, this is the one! For this recipe, you will need –

» Small round eggplants (brinjal/baingan) – the star ingredient.

» Lentil-peanut blend or bharwan masala – chana dal, peanuts, fennel seeds powder, cumin seeds powder, hing, amchur (mango powder), coriander powder, salt, mustard oil, and garam masala powder – the flavor quotient of the recipe. It’s this blend that makes bharwan eggplant special!  

» Green chilies – some heat is a must. 

» Olive oil – use the best stuff. Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan recipe

» Tomatoes – lends a thick and creamy base to this bharwan baingan recipe. 

» Seasonings – mustard seeds and cumin seeds – the pantry staples. 

» Jaggery – to balance out the heat from the chilies.

» Coconut – adds a sweet, nutty flavor to these eggplants.

How to make Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan Recipe

Let’s prepare the lentil-peanut stuffing for bharwan baingan. 

1. On medium heat, dry roast chana dal, and peanuts until lightly toasted. 

2. Allow it to cool. Transfer chana dal and peanuts to a grinder. 

3. Blend or grind until powdered. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl along with this lentil-peanut blend to make the bharwan masala ( spice blend). 

4. Rinse baingan/eggplants under tap water until clean. Pat dry with a towel. Using a paring knife, make a slit in each eggplant. Be careful not to cut all the way through. 

TIP – Make a + on each eggplant. Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan recipe

5. Tightly spoon the peanut-lentil blend into each baingan/eggplant.

6. Be careful not to break the eggplant. Stuff all eggplants and set aside. Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan recipe

7. Press the ‘saute’ button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add oil. 

8. To the hot oil, add mustard seeds. Sauté for about 30 seconds. 

9. Add cumin seeds and as it starts to crackle.

10. Add tomatoes and green chilies. Cook the tomatoes for about 3 to 4 minutes, until they’re soft and tender.

11. Add bharwan baingan ( stuffed eggplants) and the masala (spice blend) to the instant pot insert. 

12. Pour in water. 

13. Mix to combine. Turn off the ‘Saute’ button. 

14. Close the Instant Pot with its lid. Turn the venting knob to the sealing position. 

Now press the ‘Manual’ button. Cook on ‘Medium Pressure’ for 4 minutes. Once the Instant Pot beeps, wait for 4 minutes then do the QPR (quick pressure release).

15. As the safety pin drops down, open the lid.

16. Stir in desiccated unsweetened coconut, jaggery, and mix until combined. 

17. Add cilantro leaves.

18. Give it a gentle stir and serve hot. 

What to serve alongside Bharwan Baingan?

We love pairing it with warm rotis and cucumber raita. 

Cooking Tips to make the best Instant Pot Bharwan Baingan recipe

» For the bharwan baingan recipe, I usually buy small round eggplants. These fresh eggplants are young and do not have a bitter taste. Also, the seeds in these baingan/eggplants are soft and barely visible. 

» If the eggplant in the batch that you just bought has brown seeds, I would suggest scooping some of the seeds out with a spoon for even cooking. 

» There are long baby eggplants also available in the market. They will require an immediate QPR (quick pressure release). 

» If you have some medium-sized baingan/eggplants, that will require longer cooking time. Cook on ‘low pressure’ for 5 minutes and then do the QPR. 

» If the eggplants are still undercooked after cooking for 4 minutes, press the saute mode on. Cover the Instant pot with a glass lid and cook the eggplants for 3-4 minutes or until the eggplants are soft and tender. 

» To avoid the ‘BURN’ message, 1/4 cup of water is added to the baingan. 

» If you want dry Bharwan baingan, then reduce the quantity of water to 2-3 tablespoons. 

» To add a citrus touch put a few drops of lemon juice to the finished dish. 

Now for some Faq’s and Variations

» Can you use regular oil for stuffing this bharwan baingan?

You sure can! But, I would like to add that mustard oil is the key element in this recipe. It adds a nice flavor to these eggplants.

During cooking, the strong flavor profile of mustard oil will settle down, and you will not have that bitter aftertaste.

» Can you use onion and garlic in this recipe?

Of course! You can improvise this recipe to your liking. Feel free to add one medium chopped onions, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic paste, and 1/4 teaspoon of ginger paste to the recipe.

» What can you use as a substitute for peanuts?

Pumpkin seeds powder would the closest match.

» Can you use besan instead of chana dal?

Absolutely! Use 3/4 tablespoon of besan and dry roast it until it starts emitting a nutty flavor.

» Can you cook this recipe on stovetop?

Yes you can. Please follow this link to stovetop method. 

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe. Feel free to contact me with any questions or inquiries, and I would be happy to answer them.

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