Vankaya bhajji / Roasted Egg plant curry

The eggplants are traditionally roasted them on hot coal. Alternatively we can also roast them on a direct flame. This recipe has a characteristic smoky flavor from roasting the eggplants until they blacken, mashed and combined with spicy coconut powder.

Serves for 2 persons

Ingredients:

3 eggplants

Oil – 1 tsp

Kobbari podi (Spicy Coconut Powder)

Poke the eggplants with a fork or sharp knife to allow the steam to escape while roasting them on the fire.

Lightly oil eggplants, then place them on the fire directly.

Roast them until the outsides are charred and crisp. Approx 20 – 30 min. Easy way to hold them is,  skew them to the skewer and place them on the fire.

Remove the eggplants from fire, remove the skin when they are still hot. Skin will get tightened when cold.

Remove the stalks and take the pulp into a bowl and mash thoroughly. Mix the Spicy coconut powder with the mashed eggplant.

Can be served with hot rice or even used as a spread on toast.

Vankaya nanchudu koora / Brinjal Curry

This is another version of stuffed brinjal (dry variety) with mild spices that are roasted and coarsely grounded. The aroma emanated from my kitchen during it preparation warms every ones appetite. I have chosen the tender brinjals that are simmered in tamarind juice and flavoured with the spicy powder.

Ingredients:

Brinjals / Egg plants (Purple variety) – 5

Urad daal (black) – 1 tbsp

Chana daal / Senagapappu – 1 1/2 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds – 1/2  tsp

Cumin – 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Peanuts – 1 tbsp

Till / Sesame seeds – 1 tsp

Scraped coconut – 1  tbsp

Dry Red chilli – 4-5

Tamarind juice extracted from half a lemon size of it

Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

Dry roast all the ingredients one after the other except the egg plants and tamarind.

Allow them to cool down and grind them in a blender into fine powder by adding enough salt.

Tender brinjals, tamarind juice and the spicy powder

Remove the stalks for the egg plants and slit each egg plant twice still keeping the base in contact. Fill each egg plant with the spicy powder and keep them ready. Now heat a broad pan with 2 -3 tbsp of oil. Slowly slip the stuffed egg plants into it.

Once in a while give a good toss, so that the egg plants will get cooked from all sides. When they are half done add tamarind juice and cover it with the lid for 4-5 minutes or until they are fully cooked. Remove the lid and sprinkle all the remaining spicy powder and toss it again and remove from the fire.

Rice with stuffed brinjal

vankaaya Pachipulusu / Roasted Egg plant stew

This is a special variety of rasam / stew prepared especially in Andhra pradesh. Roasted and mashed brinjals are combined with raw tamarind, jaggery, chopped onions, green chillis and seasoned with aromatic spices which intensifies the flavor. This is best served with rice.

Ingredients:

Tender eggplants - 4

Oil – 2 tbsp

Onion - 1 chopped

Green chili - 2

Tamarind - 2 lemon sizes (soak it in hot water and remove the pulp)

Jagerry / sugar - 1 tsp

Salt

For seasoning -

Curry leaves - 2 strings

Mustard + Cumin - 1 tsp

Red chili - 1 or 2

Hing / Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Turmeric - 1 pinch

Method:

Smear the eggplants with oil, then place them on the fire and roast them till they are charred. If you don't have gas stove then you can roast them in a preheated oven.

Remove the eggplants from the fire and allow them to cool a little bit.

Take the pulp into a bowl and mash thoroughly.

Roasted and mashed eggplant

Now to the mashed egg plant add chopped onion, chopped green chili, jaggery / sugar and the tamarind pulp. Add salt and 2 cups of water to this and stir every thing.

For the seasoning, heat a small pan with 1 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot enough add mustard , cumin and stir for a second. Add curry leaves and the red chili along with hing / asafoetida and turmeric which gives the nice aroma to the stew. Turn off the heat and quickly add the seasoning to the rasam / stew.

Note: Those who can't eat the raw onion, can stirr the chopped onion along with the seasoning, which will reduce the rawness.

Egg plant fry with Black eye beans

This is another nice combination of vegetable with protein rich beans. Coriander and garlic will enhance the taste of the curry.

Ingredients:

Purple egg plants – 6
Large Onion – 1 chopped into small pieces

Chopped Garlic - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped finely – 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Jeera / cumin powder – ½ tsp
Boiled black eye beans – 3/4th cup

Chopped Onion, Boiled blackeye bean and chopped brinjal

Method:

Chop the egg plant into small pieces (1/2 inch cubes). Place them in salt water and keep aside.

Heat a kadai / pan and add 1 tbsp of oil. In the mean time drain the egg plant. When the oil is hot, add chopped egg plant and fry until just cooked by adding salt. Remove it from the pan and keep it aside.

In the same pan add 1 tbsp of oil and when it is hot, add chopped onion, garlic and fry until they are just done.

Now add the boiled beans and fried egg plant. Stir every thing and sprinkle chilli, coriander and jeera powders and fry for another minute.

Finally sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and remove from the fire.

Vankaya Matikkayala pullakoora (Egg plant with cluster beans)

This is another Rayalaseema recipe with the combination of egg plant and cluster beans. When compared to other curries, these recipes require less oil and also do not require any expertise to achieve the heavenly taste.

Vankaya matikkayala pullkoora

In few regions of Andhra, cluster beans are called as matikkayalu and at few regions, they are called as goruchikkudu. These beans come in clusters and hence the name cluster beans.

Ingredients:

Egg plants – Small variety – 4-5
Cluster beans - about 100 grams remove the head and tail parts and break into 2 pieces only
Onion – 1 large cut into medium chunks
Tamarind - lemon size
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Salt
For seasoning:
Garlic - 3-4 pods
Curry leaves
Mustard + Cumin - 1 tsp
Bengal gram / Chana daal - 1 tsp
Oil

Egg plant, Cluster beans, Tamarind, green chilli

Method:

Heat a deep pan with 1 tsp of oil. When it is hot enough, add onion, stir for a minute, add cluster beans and stir for a minute or 2 and finally add egg plant and fry for another minute and cover with lid for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle some water (about 30 – 50 ml) stir again, cover it and cook slowly under medium to low flame. In this way the veggies don’t get burned and also tastes good. Once the eggplant and cluster beans become tender, remove from the fire, add some salt (preferably rock salt) and mash roughly using wooden motor.

For seasoning: Heat oil in a small pan and when it is hot add Red chilli, chana daal (Bengal gram), pounded garlic, mustard, cumin and curry leaves one after the other and fry until the garlic changes into golden color.

Seasoning to add

Add the seasoning to the mashed stuff and mix every thing. Serve with hot rice.

Vankaya matikkayala pullakoora with rice and daal

Guthi Vankaya Koora, Stuffed Brinjal

Guthi vankaya Kura or stuffed eggplant/brinjal curry is an authentic Andhra recipe which is cooked in loads of spices along with the tamarind juice which enhances the taste of the spices. The dish can be made with either the small purple brinjals or the small round green eggplants. But you need to bear in mind that the brinjals are absolutely fresh and tender otherwise you will loose the tender taste of the curry. Simple way of checking this the brinjals will be shiny if they are fresh. I have used purple variety today.

Ingredients:

Small Brinjals - 6
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Sesame seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Dry coconut grated - 1 tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 3-4 large cloves
Cloves - 5-6
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Jaggery Grated - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind Pulp - 2 tbsp

Oil - 5 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 string

 

Method:

Dry roast sesame seeds, cinnamon + cloves, fenugreek seeds and peanuts seperately till they begin to change colour and leaves a nice aroma. .

Wash brinjals and make slits along the length taking care that the brinjal is held together at the stem.

Heat a tawa with 1/2 tsp of oil. Roast onions till they turn lightly brown and soften. Keep them aside. Fry tomato in the same pan by adding another 1/2 tsp of oil, until it become mushy.

Grind together roasted onion, tomato, roasted sesame seeds,  fenugreek, peanuts, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder,  Corriander powder, cumin powder, and jaggery to a very fine paste.

Stuff this masala into the slit brinjals and reserve the remaining. Heat olive oil in a kadai (wok), add curry leaves and sauté for a minute. Add the stuffed brinjals and sauté for about ten minutes. Add the reserved masala, salt and mix gently. Add tamarind pulp along with two cups of water, cover and cook over low heat till the brinjals are fully cooked and oil comes to the surface.

ఘుమ ఘుమ లాడే గుత్తి వంకాయ కూర.....

Spicy egg plant curry

Vankaya Pappu (Daal with eggplant)

Daals are an integral part of South Indian cuisine. You can prepare simple daal by not adding any other ingredients except daal like Mudha pappu, or you can add various vegitables to enhance the taste. One variety among the daals is Vankaya pappu.

Ingredients

Toor Daal - 1 cup
Egg plants - 2 (Indian variety)
Tomato - 1 large cut into big chuncks
Onion - 1 small cut into big chunks
Green chilli - 5 - 7
Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Toor Dar, egg plant, tomato, onion, chilli, tamarind

Method:

Wash and soak Daal for about 30 min. Wash and cut the egg plants. Heat a deep pan or pressure cooker and add tsp of oil. When it is hot add egg plant pieces and fry for a minute to get rid of the raw taste and also it enhances the veggie taste. Gradually add onion, chilli, tomato, toor dal, and turmeric. Add 2 cups of water and drop the tamarind at the end so that it remains on top and pressure cook for 3 whistles. If you are not using the pressure cooker, do not add tamarind until the daal has cooked well.

Allow the pressure to go and mash the daal by adding salt while it is still warm.
For seasoning, heat a kadai (small pan) add 1 tblsp of oil and when it is hot add crushed garlic, red chillie, curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin. Add the hot seasoning to the daal and mix.
Enjoy with hot rice.

Vankaya pappu with Annam (Rice)