Khandeshi Style Eggplant Bhaji

(Specially made as part of Khandeshi wedding feast)

Original Marathi recipe can be found here. 

"Shubhamangal Savadhan" - priest is chanting wedding mantras ... for 2 minutes...5 minutes...10 minutes... and finally done in 15 minutes.
As soon as the last mantra is chanted, huge mob of people run towards dinning hall and grab the seat the first seat one gets. Try to reserve few more for your group and wait for the servers to start serving.
This is just a beginning of lunch at a low key wedding in my region ...
As soon as enough people sit down, line of servers start ...

Plate... plate... plate... plate...
Bowl...bowl...bowl...bowl...
Glass...glass...glass...glass...


Every time server sets a plate in front of you he chants plate ... next one as bowl ... next one glass ... as if people will get confused looking at them :).
You check every utensil that is given to you ... clean it with a clean towel you have got in your bag.
As soon as you are done cleaning, next set of people arrive and start serving the food -

Salt...salt...salt...salt...
Rice...rice...rice...rice...
Daal...daal...daal...daal...


Next course is either jilebi or boondi laddu, eggplant sabji and masala rice.
Second course is served twice, just in case if someone wants to have seconds.
No puri, no chapati nothing ...
As soon as you are about to get up from the seat, someone quickly grabs it as second batch of people is already standing there. It is chaotic but that chaos is also very streamlined and quite enjoyable.
Things have changed these days a bit but not too much in small towns.

In Khandesh region northern Maharashtra and idea stays same but menu differs. Chapatis, plain daal called varan and eggplant sabji is served. Here is small skit that portrays wedding lunch in Marathi (aka lagnachi pangat) -

The eggplant sabji in Khandesh is much different than the ways its made in southern Maharashtra. Here is the recipe of eggplant subji served at Khandeshi wedding -

3-4 small Eggplants (preferably green eggplants)

2-3 Green Chilies

3-4 cloves of Garlic

2-3 tbsp Oil

1/2 cup Cilantro

1/2 Lime/Lemon

Salt per taste

Preparation -

Roughly grind green chilies and garlic together.

Remove eggplant stems and dice in 1/4" pieces.

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic chili paste. Saute for a minute or so.

Add eggplant, saute for couple of minutes. Lower the heat, cover and let it cook.

Check occasionally and mix.

If eggplant needs more water to cook, add little bit at a time.

Add salt and cilantro, mix well. Mash to get mushy consistency.

Squeeze lemon, mix and enjoy with chapati.

Tips -

1. I use Badagi-Musali to grind chili garlic together.
2. You can remove eggplant stems or leave them on. 
3. Same recipe can be applied to pumpkin/winter squash . Just use more chilies as squash can be bit on sweeter side.