Quick and simple eggplant stir fry with few ingredients. The addition of ginger-green chilli paste and the presence of spices especially hing (asafoetida) work a subtle magic on the sauteed brinjals, deepening the flavor, making it taste divine.
Come tea-time, I love to spread a layer of this left over stir fry on a slice of brown bread followed by a dash of date-tamarind chutney, cover with another slice of bread, lightly toast. Goes great over a cup of hot chai.
Vankaya Vepudu Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 30 mts
Serves: 3-4
Cuisine: Andhra
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1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash and cube and place in salted water
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
big pinch turmeric pwd
1/2 tsp chilli pwd
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
pinch methi pwd (dry roast and make a fine pwd)
1 1/4 tbsps oil
salt to taste
For poppu/tadka/seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida
6-7 curry leaves
1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves and toss about for 8-10 seconds. Add asafoetida and saute for a few secs.
2 Add the cubed brinjals and stir fry for 5 mts without lid on medium high. Constantly stir fry to ensure they don’t burn or stick to the pan. Add ginger-green chilli paste, salt and turmeric pwd and combine. Cook for 2 mts.
2 Add coriander pwd, methi pwd and red chilli pwd and combine. Cook with lid on low to medium flame for 18-20 mts or till the brinjals are well roasted and turn soft. Remove lid and cook on high, tossing constantly, for 4 mts.
4 Serve with hot rice or rotis.
