Ingredients

For the Powder Stuffing:-

• 1/2 cup Coconut (I used desiccated coconut here )
• 1/4 cup Sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup Groundnuts (raw )
• 5 Kashmiri dry red chili
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp Meethi Seeds
• 3 Green Cardamom
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves

For the Paste Stuffing:-

• 1 medium sized Onion (roughly chopped)
• 2 medium sized Tomatoes (roughly chopped)
• 1 inch Ginger (roughly chopped)
• 8 Garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
• Tamarind (one small marble sized ball)
• 2 Green chilies (roughly chopped)
• 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp sugar

Other Ingredients : -

• 1/2 cup Oil
• 10 Baby Brinjals (Eggplant)

Instructions

Prepare the Powder Stuffing:-

• 1 Dry roast the coconut till brown in color. Let it cool. (Use ONLY coconut, if it's Goan preparation, DON'T use peanuts and sesame in this case).
  
• 2 Dry roast the sesame till light brown in color. Let it cool. (Use sesame and peanuts BOTH, for Maharashtrian preparation. DON'T use coconut here in this case).
  
• 3 Dry roast the peanuts till they are well roasted. Let it cool.
  
• 4 Dry roast the spices till you get a nice aroma from them. Keep aside. Let it cool.
  
• 5 Dry grind all the roasted ingredients in a grinder. This is the powder for stuffing. Keep aside. This is used in STEP 9.
  

For the Paste Stuffing:-

• 6 Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry onions and tomatoes for 2-3 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic. Cover lid of pan and cook for 5-7 minutes.
  
• 7 Add the green chilies, tamarind, coriander leaves, salt and sugar. Cook for another 3 minutes. Let this mixture cool.
  
• 8 Grind the mixture after it has cooled down. Keep aside. This is used in STEP 9.
  

For the final preparation:-

• 9 Mix the powder (prepared at STEP 5) and paste stuffing (prepared in STEP 8) together.
  
• 10 Slit the brinjals as shown.
  
• 11 Stuff in the brinjals with the paste using your fingers. Reserve the remaining masala.
  
• 12 In a vessel, add ½ cup Oil. Fry in the stuffed brinjals for 5 minutes, flip them other side as well while frying.
  
• 13 Add the remaining masala paste. Add 3 cups water.
  
• 14 Cover and cook for next 20 minutes on medium low flame till oil floats on top, flipping brinjals occasionally after every 5 minutes.
  
• 15 Let the gravy thicken slightly till semi dry.
  
• 16 Serve hot with rotis!
  

Recipe Notes

• If preparing the Goan way, use ONLY Coconut. (NO peanuts and sesame seeds).
• If preparing Maharashtrian way, use BOTH peanuts and sesame seeds. (NO Coconut).