Dinner · Raat jo Khado

Methi Vanghar

Name: Methi Vanghar
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3–4 servings
Cuisine: Thathai Bhatia (Sindhi)
Ingredients: 4 medium brinjals / aubergines (vanghar); ½ bunch (50 g) fenugreek leaves (methi); 2 tbsp Bengal gram (chana dal); A pinch of asafoetida (hing); 2 tbsp ghee; Salt, to taste; Water, as required

Fenugreek with aubergine

Serves3–4

Prep10 minutes (plus 3–4 hours soaking)

Cook30 minutes

A rustic Thathai Bhatia vegetable of sliced aubergine (vanghar) cooked with soaked chana dal and finely chopped fresh fenugreek (methi) leaves, then mashed only lightly so it stays chunky. The seasoning is minimal (ghee, hing, salt), so it tastes mild, nutty and gently bitter-earthy.

Ingredients

Make

Method

Tap a number to tick off a step. Tap a time to start a timer.

Soak the Bengal gram (chana dal) in water for before cooking.
Wash the brinjals and cut them into long slices. Optionally, hold the slices in salted water for a few minutes so they do not discolour. Clean the fenugreek leaves and chop them finely.
Heat the ghee in a kadai (wok-style pan) over a medium flame. Add the asafoetida and let it temper (sizzle in the fat) until aromatic.
Add the brinjal slices and sauté lightly for , stirring now and then. This keeps their texture and stops them turning mushy.
Add the soaked Bengal gram, salt and a little water. Cover and cook until the dal is partly done.
Stir in the chopped fenugreek and mix well. Keep cooking until the dal is tender and the brinjal is fully cooked.
Mash lightly to bring the textures together, without puréeing. Adjust the salt and simmer for a few minutes.
Take off the heat and serve hot.

My notes

Your family’s way with this recipe, or a reminder for next time. Kept on this phone or computer, and shown in cook mode.

My notes on Methi Vanghar

Tips and variations

Soaking the dal gives even cooking and a pleasant bite; sauté the brinjal first so it does not go mushy; if the fenugreek tastes too bitter, sauté it separately before adding it; do not over-mash, to keep the rustic texture.

With Moong Dal

Use soaked split green gram (moong dal) in place of Bengal gram for a lighter, quicker-cooking, softer dish.

With Potatoes

Add diced boiled potatoes along with the brinjal, to offset the bitterness and make the dish more filling.

With Tomatoes

Add chopped tomatoes during cooking for a mild tang and a slightly moist consistency.

Spicy

Add green chillies, red chilli powder or crushed black pepper for heat.

With Mixed Brinjals

Use a mix of purple and green brinjals for a more complex flavour.

With Dill Leaves

Add a small amount of dill leaves (suva bhaji) with the fenugreek for extra aroma.

Serve with

Traditionally with phulko. Also pairs well with simple rice dishes.

Recipes mentioned here

PhulkoEveryday puffed whole-wheat flatbreadBreads

Nutrition

Estimated

Per serving

170 kcal

Protein: 5 g
Carbohydrate: 19 g
Fat: 10 g

The recipe serves 3–4.

Whole recipe

590 kcal

Protein: 16 g
Carbohydrate: 67 g
Fat: 34 g

Everything in the ingredients list.

These are estimates, worked out from the amounts in the recipe and typical values for each ingredient. Portion sizes and the exact amount of oil, ghee or sugar can change them a lot. How we estimate

Good to know

Storage

Storage: "best eaten fresh; keeps refrigerated up to 1 day; reheat gently." plus a separate note "Did you know?": "fenugreek is valued in traditional Indian cooking for its digestive and blood-sugar-regulating properties."

About this dishCultural note

Cultural note

The dish reflects the Thathai Bhatia preference for simple, ingredient-led cooking, with bitter and earthy notes balancing each other as in North Indian methi baingan.

Where this recipe comes from

Recipe from Panja Khada by Bharat and Deepa Chachara.

See the original recipe and photos