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Vangi Batata Rassa in English means eggplant potato curry and in Hindi, it is called aloo baingan ki sabji. This is a vegan recipe. Impact-Site-Verification: 4e4d91da-d5e6-4cbc-8bc2-02c2a9d8526f
This is a simple & super easy everyday recipe made with small eggplants and potatoes along with earthy spices and herbs.
This quick and simple eggplant curry is popularly made in combination with potatoes.
The addition of potatoes to this eggplant curry enhances the texture of this dish and makes it more filling. At home, we normally add potatoes to this curry but if you are not fond of potatoes you might completely avoid it.
In India, combining veggies with potatoes is very common.
There are various recipes in which the main vegetable is combined with potatoes such as cauliflower potato (flower batata), cluster beans potato curry (gavar batata), cabbage potato to name a few.
Vangi / baingan / eggplants are widely used in Indian cuisine.
Some of the most delectable recipes are made out of eggplants all across India.
The most popular are Baingan ka Bharta (roasted mashed aubergine with the addition of spices), Begun Bhaja (Pan Fried Crispy Eggplant Fritters), Bharli Vangi (Stuffed eggplants).
This one-pot curry recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and pairs well with flatbreads like roti, paratha or with dal rice, or plain steamed rice.
There are several variations in which this aloo baingan sabji / eggplant potato curry is made. You can make this into a dry dish or with curry. It depends on your preference.
At home, we love to have it as a side dish with (Maharashtrian amti bhat) dal rice or sometimes we have it only with plain steamed rice.
In case you want to pack it for tiffin then you can add very little water just to cook the vegetable and keep it semi-dry or completely dry.
The best thing about making this vegetable is that everything goes into one pot and within minutes you are ready to serve this delicious curry. You can make this recipe in the instant pot too.
To make this vangi batata, small or medium-sized purple eggplants work best. Try not to use those long aubergine which is used to make baingan bharta.
In this recipe, I have used jaggery which is a sweetener made from sugar cane juice. It is basically an unrefined sugar. Jaggery is healthier than sugar and has numerous health benefits.
Jaggery is packed with minerals like iron and phosphorus. Hence help in the prevention of anemia.
It boosts immunity
It detoxifies the body
Improves digestion
Jaggery is mostly used in Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisines.
But before we dive into the making of this scrumptious vangi batata rassa / eggplant potato curry, there are some little things that need to be taken care of so we don’t end up having a mushy curry.
1 Try and use the small eggplants / brinjals / vangi for making this recipe.
2. Cut the eggplants into 4 parts but make sure that you don’t cut them too small. Cut them into large pieces which helps prevent them from overcooking and getting mushy.
3. Cut eggplants just before you are ready to put them in. Do not cut and keep it aside for a long time. In case you want to cut them ahead of time then immediately immerse them into salted water to avoid oxidation. You can avoid this step and directly add the cut eggplants into the onion potato mixture.
4 Most Important: Always add the potatoes first in the tempering as they take a long time to cook than the eggplants.
I have shown both the methods here, the stovetop method & the instant pot method.
Vangi / Baingan / Eggplants: I have used the small purple eggplants that I have cut into 4 halves and immersed them in salted water to stop oxidation.
Potatoes: I have used 3 medium-sized potatoes here that I cubed.
Spices & Herbs: I have used coriander-cumin seeds powder, red chilli powder, turmeric and kasuri methi. Adding kasuri methi is optional but it enhances the taste.
Seasoning: I have used salt and jaggery here. If you do not have jaggery use a teaspoon of sugar.
Water: I ended up adding 2 cups of water for the gravy.
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Let’s see how to make Vangi batata rassa / eggplant curry / aloo baingan ki sabji with simple basic ingredients in your home kitchen.
Serves: 3 Persons
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Cooking level: Easy
Taste: Mild Spicy
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- 250 grams Small Eggplants
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 3 Potatoes cut in cubes
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Jeera Seeds
- 1/4th tsp Hing (Asafoetida)
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seed powder
- 2 teaspoon Coriander seed powder
- 1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi powder
- 1 teaspoon Jaggery (Gul) (Instead of jaggery use 1 teaspoon of brown sugar or white sugar)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- Water for cooking
- Cut eggplants and potatoes in cubes and keep them separately in salted water so as to avoid oxidation.
- In a kadhai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Add hing (asafoetida) and finely chopped onions. Saute onions for 5 minutes or till translucent. We do not want onion to be completely cooked at this moment.
- Now add the potato cubes. Discard the water in which they were kept, do not use that water.
- Add a cup of water for cooking potatoes. Cover and cook the potatoes till they are half done. Keep on checking and stirring potatoes occasionally.
- Once potatoes are half cooked, add the eggplants.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander & cumin seeds powder, salt and jaggery ( or 1 teaspoon sugar). Mix all the ingredients.
- Now add water as per the gravy you required. I ended up adding 2 cups of water.
- Cover and cook the vegetable till eggplants and potatoes are tender.
- Lastly, sprinkle kasuri methi and mix.
- Vangi Batata Rassa – Eggplant Potato Curry is ready.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with any flatbread of your choice or with dal rice.
- Start instant pot on saute mode. Once hot, add oil & mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Now add cumin seeds and saute for 15 seconds till cumin changes its colour to light brown.
- Add hing (Asafoetida) and finely chopped onions. Saute the onions till they are translucent.
- Now add the potatoes, and eggplant along with water.
- Add spices – red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander & cumin seeds powder, salt, and jaggery ( or 1 teaspoon sugar). Mix all the ingredients.
- Press the cancel button and close the lid with the valve in the sealing position.
- Press the manual or pressure cook mode on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Once the instant pot beep, let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the instant pot and sprinkle a teaspoon of Kasuri methi and finely chopped coriander leaves (cilantro).
- Serve hot with steamed rice or flatbread.
Note:
- Try and use the small eggplants / brinjals / vangi for making this recipe.. Cut the eggplants into 4 parts but make sure that you don’t cut them too small. Cut them into large pieces which helps prevent them from overcooking and getting mushy.
2. Cut eggplants just before you are ready to put them in. Do not cut and keep it aside for a long time.
3. In case you are cutting eggplants ahead of time then immediately immerse them into salted water to avoid oxidation or completely avoid this step and directly add the cut eggplants into the onion potato mixture.
4. Most Important: Always add potatoes first in the tempering as they take a long time to cook than the eggplants.
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