Name: Andhra Gutti Vankaya Kura
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Baby Eggplant, purple tender brinjals, slit; 1 large Onion, finely chopped; 1 medium Tomato, finely chopped; 3 tbsp Tamarind Extract, thick paste or soaked water; 2 tbsp Peanuts, peanuts, for roasting; 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds, white til; 2 tbsp Dried Coconut, grated or desiccated; 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds, dhania seeds; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds, jeera; 4 Dried Red Chili Peppers, Byadagi or Guntur; 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste, freshly pounded; 3 tbsp Cooking Oil, peanut or sesame oil preferred; ½ tsp Mustard Seeds, rai; 10 Curry Leaves, fresh; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric, haldi; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

1 hr 5 mintotal

50 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Hard
Spice: Spicy

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Method

Prepare the Masala Paste: Dry roast the groundnuts in a pan until the skins start peeling. Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, and sesame seeds. Roast on low heat until aromatic. Finally, add the dry coconut, roast for 30 seconds, and turn off the heat. Let it cool.
30 sec
Transfer the roasted ingredients to a blender. Add a little water, salt, and turmeric, and blend into a thick, smooth paste. This is your stuffing.
Take the slit brinjals out of the water. Stuff the prepared masala paste generously inside each brinjal. Keep the leftover masala paste aside for the gravy.
Heat oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Toss in the curry leaves.
Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent and golden.
Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell goes away. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until soft.
Carefully place the stuffed brinjals into the pan. Stir gently to coat them with the onion-tomato mixture. Roast on medium heat for 5 minutes, turning them carefully.
5 min
Pour in the remaining blended masala paste along with the tamarind extract and about 1 cup of water. Gently mix.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally with a light hand to ensure the brinjals don't break, until the oil floats on top and the brinjals are completely soft and cooked through.
15–20 min

How to tell it's done

Rich, nutty, deeply tangy and spicy thick gravy enveloping melt-in-the-mouth, perfectly intact baby eggplants.

Getting it right

Tip

Choosing small, uniformly sized tender purple baby brinjals is crucial. Avoid large or mature eggplants, as their skin is thick and they won't absorb the peanut-sesame masala properly.

What to serve it with

An absolute delicacy when eaten with Steamed Rice topped with ghee, or paired with hot Chapati or Jowar Bhakri.

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Ingredients