Eggplant Varieties

Eggplants come in various shapes, sizes and colors. Although the taste, texture and flavor is similar, you will notice subtle differences.  You’ll also end up using different varieties of eggplants for different recipes, if you regularly cook eggplant recipes. For example, I use the larger ones when I roast or bake. I use the long and narrow lighter colored eggplant (Chinese Eggplant) when I sauté (they soften much faster). I’ve personally never cooked green eggplant but that tastes great too.

Eggplant Varieties

Best Eggplant For Stuffed Recipes

Especially for stuffed eggplant recipes, I prefer the small, deep indigo colored eggplant. You can definitely find these at Indian groceries stores. Ironically, it is referred to as Indian Eggplant! Pick the ones with stalks that are green and thick (as opposed to grey and wilted). That tells you that the vegetable is still tender and seeds are very soft. Once the seeds start hardening it’s no fun cooking eggplant. I learnt this trick of picking the right kind on my recent trip to an Indian grocery with my mom. It makes a big difference to the dish you’re cooking.

Indian Eggplant

Spicy, Tangy, Stuffed Eggplant

In general I like most eggplant recipes, but this is one of my top picks. I have my mom make this for me at least once, every time I visit her. This time I recorded the recipe as she was making it so I did not miss out on any of the details. I also had her cook this in an Instant Pot (IP) as against a regular pan with a lid on a stove top. This was slightly out of her comfort zone and an experiment for me. It turned our really good, especially considering that the eggplant needs to be cooked just right (can’t be too crunchy or too mushy).  While this recipe is not one of the simplest ones to cook, it has a manageable ingredient list and is absolutely delicious!

Don’t forget to check out other delicious and nutritious eggplant recipes:

• Bagara Baingan
• Baingan Bartha- Roasted Eggplant Curry
• Fresh Fenugreek Eggplant Sauté
• Baked Eggplant
• Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Chutney
• Broad Bean Eggplant Sauté
• Eggplant Potato Spicy Medley
• Baba Ghanoush
• Spicy Cilantro Ginger Eggplant Sauté
• Delish Bell Pepper and Eggplant Sauté
• Smoky Eggplant Chutney

Do you love our posts and recipes? We’d LOVE to see your creations so click a photo and tag us on Instagram with the hashtag #healthyindian3 and please give a star (★) rating below. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube & Tumblr for healthy, easy and delicious recipes and lifestyle tips.

*There could be affiliate links in this blog. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Print Pin

4 from 1 vote

Spicy, Tangy, Stuffed Eggplant

This delicious eggplant recipe is a treat for spice lovers! Enjoy it with steamed rice and ghee, or with hot rotis. Top it on your flat bread or roll it in your taco. Simply yummy!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword aubergine, baingan, dry red chili pepper, Eggplant, fenugreek seeds, Mustard Seeds, Onion, stuffed aubergine, stuffed baingan, stuffed eggplant, Tamarind, Urad Dal

Special Diet Gluten Free, Grain Free, No Added Sugar, Nut Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 193kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot (IP)
• Cutting Board
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds Eggplant - Small or medium size
• 2 Cups Onion - Chopped
• 5 Peppers Dry Red Chili
• 2 Teaspoons Mustard Seeds
• 2 Teaspoons Fenugreek Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Urad Dal - Black gram
• 1 Teaspoon Tamarind - Paste or de-seeded
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - (Or to taste)
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Instructions

• Set IP on 'Sauté mode, wait for the 'hot' sign to show up (if you're using a pan, it's the same process) and roast chili peppers, mustard and fenugreek seeds, urad dal in just a few drops of oil, till the urad dal turns slightly brown.
  
• Transfer the roasted contents to a blender, add onion, salt, tamarind and blend to a coarse paste.
  
• Wash, dry and cut the stalks off the eggplants. Make an incision on either end of each eggplant (as you see in the picture) and start stuffing the blended spice paste.
  
• Dry out the IP pan (or the regular pan), add rest of the oil and set it back on 'Sauté' mode. Once its hot, start adding the stuffed eggplants, one at a time. Sauté for about 7 to 8 minutes, add the remaining stuffing. You will have about half a cup left over after you finish stuffing the eggplants.
  
• Mix well, set the IP lid on and set it on 'steam' mode for 8 minutes (in a regular pan keep taking the lid off and gently stir the contents). Once the cook cycle is done, take the IP lid off, mix well and transfer to a serving dish.
  

Notes

Goes great with steamed rice and organic ghee.

*Use organic ingredients wherever possible

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Spicy, Tangy, Stuffed Eggplant

Serving Size

 

225 g

Amount per Serving

Calories

193

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

8

g

12

%

Saturated Fat

 

6

g

38

%

Sodium

 

302

mg

13

%

Potassium

 

686

mg

20

%

Carbohydrates

 

28

g

9

%

Fiber

 

11

g

46

%

Sugar

 

13

g

14

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

383

IU

8

%

Vitamin C

 

12

mg

15

%

Calcium

 

51

mg

5

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.