Vangi Batata Bhaji, Mahahrashtrian Aubergine Potato Curry
Tender, meaty aubergines and soft, melt-in-the-mouth potatoes are simmered in a fragrant sauce rich with spices, coconut, and tantalizing heat. Vangi batata bhaji is a staple Maharashtrian dish often paired with poli (chapati) or jwarichi bhakri — and I’ll teach you how to make it.
In English, vangi batata bhaji translates to an “aubergine potato dish.” The word bhaji is usually used to describe any vegetable-based dish, and shouldn’t be confused with takeaway-style onion bhaji, which are crispy fritters.
Complete with the distinctive Maharashtrian style rassa (thin, fiery curry sauce), the flavours of vangi batata bhaji are reminiscent of bharli vangi (stuffed aubergines) and batatyacha rassa. If you like either of these dishes, you’ll be sure to love this one.
The standout is our sauce — a revolutionary combination of fruity coconut, smoked sweet onions, fiery sharp chillies, and warming spices. Words simply don’t do it justice.
That’s not to say the vegetables get left behind. If anything, it’s the opposite. The potatoes soak up all that marvellous rich sauce, meaning every bite of the buttery pieces is perfection. And the aubergines? Meaty, tender, fall-apart, with the ultimate smoky creaminess.
While vangi batata rassa is incredible day of, unbelievably, the leftovers are even better.
So, don’t let me convince you any further — let’s just get straight into the good stuff!
❤️🔥 Why You’ll Obsess Over this Vangi Batata Bhaji Recipe
🥘 Vangi Batata Bhaji vs Aloo Baingan: The Differences
Aubergine and potato curry isn’t unique to Maharashtra.
The hearty dish is found all across India — it’s particularly beloved in the North, where it’s known in Hindi as aloo baingan.
While most households put their unique spin on the simple recipe, aloo baingan is generally a semi-dry dish (without much sauce). Comparatively, my vangi batata bhaji is served with an unctuous sauce made from coconut and onion roasted until charred, imparting a deeply smoky flavour.
🍆 Ingredients for Vangi Batata Bhaji
Like most Indian recipes, vangi batata bhaji needs a fair few ingredients.
Don’t be intimidated, though! Splitting the ingredients into categories — vegetables, aromatics, spices — makes it much easier to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed.
Plus, it’s 100% worth the extra effort to amass the ingredients, because the sophisticated savoury profile of the dish is a real winner.
If you don’t have these ingredients already in your pantry, you’ll be able to find almost everything at a large grocery store, although you may need to head to an Asian/Indian market for the baby aubergines.
- Baby aubergine (eggplant for U.S. readers, and vangi in Marathi) are tender, meaty, mild, and creamy. Often called “Indian eggplants,” they are commonly a deep purple colour, but can also be striped or green.
- Potato bulk up the curry with a gorgeously buttery, melt-in-the-mouth texture. I like to use all-rounder potatoes like Maris Piper; waxy potatoes aren’t absorbent enough, whereas floury varieties are likely to fall apart.
- Oil is a flavour carrier, helping to bring all the spices to life.
- Mustard seeds offer a pop of punchy, bitter, and spicy taste in every bite.
- Curry leaves (not pictured) have a unique lemony flavour and brilliant aroma. I highly recommend adding them if you have access; otherwise, you can skip them.
- Ground spices including turmeric, coriander, cumin, and red chilli powder help to build depth with earthy, bitter, floral, sharp, and spicy notes. The fresher your dried spices, the more intense the flavour.
- Tomato lends a tanginess to the gravy. If needed, you can substitute this for strained tamarind pulp.
- Water adjusts the consistency of the sauce.
- Goda masala is a regional Maharashtrian spice blend with a lovely sweet aroma and a smoky, complex flavour. It’s used right at the end of the recipe, to preserve its potency.
You’ll Also Need Ingredients for the Paste
This simple paste is responsible for the robustness of flavour and texture in vangi batata rassa. It can’t be overstated how powerful these ingredients are.
In Marathi, this paste is often called vatan or kanda khobra vatan (onion coconut paste).
- Coconut lends a mild, creamy, and nutty flavour. Since it’s charred, it also develops a particular smokiness and indescribable aroma. As a preference, I use fresh coconut, but dry coconut or even desiccated will do in a pinch (although in the case of the latter, you’ll need a different technique — more on that later).
- Onion is also roasted directly over a flame until charred, imparting a powerful sweetness. Use red or white onions.
- Garlic will melt down into the sauce, giving it a buttery flavour.
- Fresh coriander provides a citrusy, herbal flavour to the paste.
🤯 Variations and Customisations
Vangi batata bhaji is amazingly customisable.
Luckily, vangi batata bhaji is 100% vegan, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut free as written — no adaptations needed.
But there’s so much you can play around with while staying within the safe tried-and-tested confines of the recipe.
For example, I’ve spoken to many cooks who keep things simple using a standard base of chopped onions and tomatoes (instead of the kanda khobra paste this recipe suggests). If you’re short on time, it’s a tasty option!
On the other hand, if you want to add another layer of nuance, why not add a few tablespoons of roasted peanut powder, a la bharli vangi?
While not traditional, you can shut down the “where do you get your protein from!” naysayers by adding a can of chickpeas or homemade tofu and packing the dish with plant-powered protein.
🧑🍳 How to Make Vangi Batata Bhaji
If you’ve ever watched a cooking show like Masterchef, you’ve likely seen the judges talk about building layers in Indian dishes with an almost mystical veneration.
It’s not as complicated as people would have you believe, even as a complete beginner. If you have experience in the cuisine, it’ll become second nature in no time at all.
Below, I’ve outlined the basic steps for making this vangi batata rassa recipe — you can find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
- Make the kanda khobra vatan by roasting the onion and coconut directly over a flame (or grill) until the outer layer is completely charred. Add these to a blender along with garlic cloves, ginger, and fresh coriander. Blend to a thick paste.
- Make the curry base by heating oil in a large kadai until hot. Add black mustard seeds and cook until they pop. Next, add the paste. Let it fry for a minute, then add the chopped tomato, dried spices (sans goda masala), and salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the oil separates.
- Add the aubergine and potatoes, and stir to coat in the spicy masala. Add water and cumin powder, then let the dish simmer until the vegetables are soft — about 20 minutes.
- Garnish with a sprinkling of goda masala and fresh chopped coriander.
Cookware You Need
🧑🏫 Tips to Make Perfect Vangi Batata Bhaji
- Use fresh aubergines for the best flavour. This is especially vital if you’re living outside India — unfortunately, many of the baby aubergines aren’t fresh, and the insides are filled with black seeds and discoloured flesh. To avoid this, pick brinjal with smooth, unblemished skin, a firm yet not hard texture, and vivid green stems/leaves.
- Cut the aubergine and potatoes to the same size to ensure they both cook evenly. We don’t want mushy aubergines and hard potatoes or vice versa!
- Don’t rush the process! Although most vegetarian curry recipes are relatively quick, you’ll always extract the best flavour when you cook patiently. Allowing the oils time to separate not only makes your presentation more impressive (it’s responsible for that gorgeous deep red oil layer on top), but also indicates that all your ingredients are properly cooked.
🫓 Serving Suggestions
Make vangi batata rassa a complete meal with bread or rice.
Soft, puffy chapati is a surefire hit every time, but rustic, filling, and gluten-free jwarichi bhakri is a traditional choice, too. If you want to go more restaurant-style, opt for fluffy, buttery coriander and garlic eggless naan.
More into rice? Personally, I like to serve both! Sona masoori is touted as a great “every day” rice, but ambe mohar is mouthwateringly fragrant too. Because the spices in vangi batata rassa are intense, homely steamed rice is the best option.
You can easily make an impressive Maharashtrian-style thali (a large plate with many dishes) by adding traditional accompaniments along with flatbread and rice. Try varan bhaat, methi koshimbir, onion bhaji or kothimbir vadi, green chilli thecha, and basundi or shrikhand.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
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Vangi Batata Bhaji
Vangi batata bhaji is a spicy, aromatic, and smoky Maharashtrian potato and aubergine curry. It's vegan, gluten free, and nut free.
Ingredients
For the Kanda Khobra Vatan
- 40g Fresh Coconut
- 60g Onion (1/2 Large)
- 5 Garlic Cloves, peeled
- 1" piece Ginger, peeled
- Fresh Coriander, small handful
For the Vangi Batata Bhaji
- 4 Baby Aubergine (Vangi), cut into eights*
- 3 Large Potatoes (360g), peeled and cut to equal size as the aubergine
- 6 tablespoons Neutral Oil
- 1 teaspoon Black Mustard Seeds
- Fresh Curry Leaves, optional
- 160g Fresh Tomato, roughly chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 3 teaspoons Chilli Powder
- Salt, to taste
- 450ml Water
- 1 teaspoon Goda Masala**
Instructions
- Make the kanda khobra vatan. Roast the onion and coconut directly over a gas flame (or grill) until the outer layer is completely blackened and charred. There is no need to remove this layer — add it to a blender with garlic cloves, ginger, and fresh coriander. Blend to a thick paste.
- Make the curry base. Heat oil in a large kadai (or deep-sided saucepan) until hot. Add black mustard seeds, and cook until they pop. Immediately after, add the curry leaves — be careful, they may spit! Next, add the prepared kanda khobra vatan (paste) and let it fry, stirring constantly, for a minute. Add the chopped tomato, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, and salt. Cook, stirring regularly, until the oil separates — around 10 minutes.
- Let the vangi batata bhaji simmer. Add the cut aubergine and potatoes to the masala and carefully stir, allowing all the spices to coat the vegetables. Now, add 450ml water and cumin powder. Cover the pan and let the dish simmer on low-medium flame until the vegetables are soft (about 20 minutes). The potatoes should be knife-soft.
- Garnish the dish with a sprinkling of goda masala and freshly chopped coriander, then turn off the heat and serve.
Notes
* Immediately soak the baby aubergines in salted water to avoid discolouration.
** Substitute goda masala for garam masala if necessary.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 476Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 163mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 17gSugar: 19gProtein: 9g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
