Brinjal is famous as king of vegetables in South India. Aslo called as Egg plant, Aubergine, Baigan in different regions. Stuffed brinjal curry or Gutti Vankai curry is Andhra special dish. Hmmm…. Yummy! lets get on to preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

• Fresh round brinjals – 10
• Green chillies – 5 (slit vertically)
• Onion Pieces – 1/2 cup (chopped)
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves – few
• Salt to taste
• Red chilli powder – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro leaves – 1/4 cup (chopped)
• Oil – for deep fry and extra 3 tbsp for curry
• Tamarind paste – 1 tbsp (thick paste)
• Garam masala powder – 2 tbsp
• Cumin seed powder – 1 tbsp

For stuffing:

• Ground nuts – 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds – 1/2 cup
• Cashew nuts – 1/4 cup
• Salt to taste
• Dry red chillies – 7

How to make stuff powder:

• Roast the ground nuts and sesame seeds individually with out oil and bring them to room temperature and transfer them to the mixer jar for grinding.
• Then add 1 tbsp oil in the same pan and fry the dry red chillies, chana dal and cashew nuts and bring them to room temperature and transfer to the above jar.
• Ground the ingredients well and keep aside which will be used for stuffing.

How to make stuffed Brinjal Curry:

Wash the fresh Brinjals and dry them with a clean cloth.

 

Cut them into 4 quadrant pieces as shown in the below picture and place them in the salt water bowl for 5 minutes.

Then stuff the powder with a small spoon into to the brinjals by holding their mouths open.

After the stuffing the brinjals on one half side close it.

Then stuff the powder on other half side of Brinjals.

After stuffing the brinjals, drop the brinjals in the hot boiling oil for deep fry.

Do repeat the same procedure for the remaining brinjals.

Keep turning the brinjals and fry them on all sides. Transfer the fried brinjals in to a bowl lined with tissue paper (to remove excess oil).

Curry Preparation:

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and let them splutter. Then add kasoori methi leaves and then add green chillies followed by onion pieces. Add Turmeric, Ginger Garlic paste and sauté for 5 minutes on low flame. Then add remaining powder left after stuffing the brinjals to the pan and sauté well for 5 minutes.

 

Lastly add salt, chilli powder, Garam masala powder, cumin seed powder and cilantro leaves, tamarind paste to it.

 

Mix well and cook for 5 minutes with a lid on high flame.

 

Then add fried stuffed brinjals to the pan and add 1/2 cup water and place the lid and cook for 10 min. Then Stuffed Brinjal Curry is ready  to taste.

 

Stuffed Brinjal curry is good for vegetarian side dishes and a great combination of Rice, Naan or Chapattis.