Guthi Vankaya Kura/ Andhra Stuffed Brinjal Curry

Guthi Vankaya Kura

Ingredients:

Guthi Vankayalu/ Small Egg plants - 5 no. (each eggplant should be the same size, with the top bit or muchka, wash and wipe with serviettes)

Heat oil in a deep frying pan, once heated do plus signs or star shape on each eggplant from underneath about 3/4 of it's size. Deep fry one eggplant at a time, only for few secs, making sure you are turning the eggplant, to coat the hot oil on all sides. By now they will open a bit, remove to a plate. Do this to all of them. Switch off.

For Stuffing (masala paste):

Oil - 3 tbsp

Whole Masalas - {Coriander seeds - 3 tsp, Poppy seeds - 1 tsp, Whole Cloves - 6, Cardamom - 6, Cinnamon stick - 1 inch}

Onion - 1 and 1/2 large no. (chopped into chunks)

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Heat oil in a deep nonstick pan, once heated fry in the order given above. Switch off, keep it cooled, transfer these to mixie jar and grind into smooth paste with out any water, remove to a bowl.

Salt to taste

Add this to above paste and mix well.

Water - 1/4 rice cup

To the emptied grinded jar add water, and pulse the mixie. Keep this water aside until needed.

Oil - 1 tbsp

Proceed:

1) For the fried eggplant, stuff with above masala paste, just about.

2) Heat oil in the same non-stick pan on medium-low, add stuffed eggplant keep them in a single layer, add remaining paste which you may have. Rotate the dish once add reserved water, and keep the flame simmer, cover and cook for 10 mins. Turn once and rotate the dish and cook for 10 more mins. Now remove the lid and cook for 2 mins. Switch off. Keep the lid on for 5 more mins, by now you will see eggplant have glossy finish with oil, now keep the lid ajar. Serve.

Serve with Sambhar, Vegetable Pulao or Rice and Yoghurt on side. Even goes well as a party dish.

Stuffed Eggplant

Tip:

When choosing brinjals, choose which are tender, not those which has seeds in them means in telugu muduru.

For Indians:- pick atleast 10 - 12 no. purple eggplant, tender and little in size.

My mom never deep fries it before, in that case instead of putting plus mark, cut into star, keep them in warm salted water until ready.

For masala do the same way (I am thinking shallots will be lot tastier in this dish, in that case no need to pre fry them, add same amount of weight) + add 1 tbsp butter (not melted but soften). For adding oil in kadai, my mom puts 1 egg plant in the middle of the dish pour oil until the eggplant is half way filled with oil, then remove and stuff, once heated keep them in a single layered, fry for few mins, turn over again do the same and add reserved water, cover and cook. You shouldn't stir all the time, instead rotate the dish carefully and turn the pieces half way through. If you follow this way it is quite tasty, only for Indian brinjals though. (this way oil will go inside the eggplant and masala will be fried evenly, you won't get kacha taste). Cook this dish on eye method, until eggplant are cooked well.

Want to see who tried my recipe:

My World of Recipes - by Preethi Chalavadhi

© 2009 by Rajani Rayudu