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Picture of stuffed brinjal curry in a red enamel pan
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4.75 from 8 votes

Stuffed Brinjal Curry (Gutti Vankaya or Yengai)

Stuffed Brinjal Curry or Eggplant Curry is a delicious South Indian speciality that uses a mix of peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut, chana dal, tamarind, chillies and jaggery to create a nutty, spicy, tangy, sweet base. The ground masala is really easy to make and there's virtually no chopping involved! Always a win for weeknight dinners or special dinners. Goes well with rotis, biryani, or just steamed rice
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 people
Author: Richa

Ingredients

Paste

  • ¼ Cup Fried Chana Dal split chickpea lentils
  • ¼ Cup Peanuts groundnuts
  • 8 Byadgi Dry Red Chilli
  • 8 Guntur Dry Red Chilli
  • 12 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
  • ½ Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
  • 17 Grams Tamarind lemon sized, approx 1 ½ Tablespoon/ sub with 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 27 Grams Jaggery approx 2-3 Tablespoons/ sub with brown sugar
  • 1 ½ - 2 Teaspoon Salt
  • ⅓ Cup grated Dry Coconut kopra
  • ¾ Cup Water approx

Curry

  • ¼ Cup Oil sesame or groundnut
  • 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
  • 8-10 small purple striped Brinjal
  • 1 Large Onion sliced, approx 1 Cup
  • 1 1/2 cup Water divided

Instructions

Paste

  • Add all the paste ingredients except the water to the chutney jar of a mixer. Grind into a fine paste. Add water little by little as you grind it - just enough for you to get a smooth paste. If it becomes too thin, it'll be difficult to stuff the brinjal with it.

Curry

  • Make a deep X-shaped cut on the bottom of brinjal as shown in the video - cut till the top without cutting all the way through. The cut should be deep enough to be able to open up the brinjal. Stuff the brinjal well with the prepared paste as shown in the video. Repeat for the remaining brinjal and set aside. Reserve any excess paste.
  • Heat oil in a flat bottomed kadai or sauteuse pan. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
  • Add the prepared brinjal to the pan. Spread them out as much as possible and shallow fry for 2-3 minutes on each side. Use tongs to turn the brinjals.
  • Add sliced onion and stir. Saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add the remaining paste and mix to combine. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add 1 cup water and mix. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes or until the brinjal is cooked. It may take longer to cook depending on the size of the brinjal.
  • Add the remaining half cup of water little by little to adjust the consistency of the gravy as desired.
  • Serve hot along with rice and ghee or jowar rotis!

Video

Notes

  1. Whole tamarind can be substituted for 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  2. If you don't have access to dried coconut, use freshly grated coconut or freshly frozen grated coconut in the same quantity
  3. The amount of water added to the ground paste should be just enough to grind it till smooth. Don't add too much water or the paste will become too thin making it difficult to stuff the brinjal

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1386mg | Potassium: 1808mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 898IU | Vitamin C: 130mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 4mg