Bagara Baigan (Stuffed Eggplant)

For vegetarians and meat lovers this is a big favorite - stuffed eggplant... eggplant at its finest ;) I love this dish myself. There are a few different ways to make it...mostly driven by the state of region in India. Hyderabad has its own signature way of making, Nellore has its way of making it, and Vizag has its own way of making it. I love all ways, perhaps because I just like variety!

So, here's a Nellore style of making eggplant. Btw, a quick search on eggplant nutrition facts, revealed the following:

Eggplant is:

• Low in Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol
• High in Dietary Fiber, Folate, Potassium, Manganese, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper

The nutritional value and health benefits of eggplant makes it ideal for:

• Maintaining optimum health
• Weight loss

Ingredients:
Indian Eggplant (8-10)
1 medium sized red onion
3 green chillies
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
handful fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder

Process:
Chop up the onions, green chillies coriander leaves
Heat up a deep saute pan.
Add about 2 tbsp oil
Add the onions and green chillies, saute until slight yellow
Add the ginger garlic paste, saute until the mixture is golden brown
Add the dry ingredients (cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chilli powder)
Saute for another minute to allow the dry spices to get toasty (it brings out the flavors really well)
Add the dry roasted peanuts, and give it a stir - another couple of minute
Add salt to taste
Set aside from the stove and allow it to cool down
In a food processor, blend the above mixture with the coriander leaves, to a fine consistency
Not it's time to prepare the eggplant:
Cut it into 4 sections as if you are creating a flower out of it. Important thing is to not cut it all the way. The base (part which holds the stalk) should be intact, such that it's still a whole eggplant.. just with 4 "petals"
Cut all eggplants in a similar fashion
Heat some oil in a saute pan, and stir fry them such that all sides get a nice carmelization. Do not over-stir, or else the eggplant will fall apart.
Once the eggplant is nicely browned, add the mixture from the food processor.
Cook for 7-8 minutes, so that the eggplant soaks in the sauces.
While cooking, do not over-stir and mix carefully.

Serve hot with rice or roti/naan!