EGGPLANT
Achra Stuffed Eggplant
Eggplant - 5 Small to medium
Ghee - 5 tbs
For Stuffing:
Urad Dal - 1 cup
Gram Dal - 1-1/2 cup
Red Chilli's - 5
Zeera (cumin) - 4 tsp
Dhanya (coriander) - 4 tsp
Til (nevvulu) (sesame) - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Peanut - 1/2 cup
Hing (inguva/asofoetida) - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Take a pan and fry all the ingredients individually, without ghee, for stuffing. Let them cool, then grind well and set aside. Take eggplant and cut them into four long spears and set aside. In a little hot ghee fry the the eggplants until they’re half cooked. Stuff them with the stuffing mixture and fry untll they become soft. Finally add some stuffing powder around the eggplant and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more, then offer hot.
Andhra Vonakaya Curry with Coriander Paste
10 young eggplants
1 bunch of coriander leaves
4 green chillies
Salt to taste
Cut the eggplant into cubes, leaving 4 of them whole. The whole ones will be stuffed. For corriander paste: wash and cut the leaves and grind them along with green chillies and salt, without adding water. Stuff this paste into the eggplant. Fry the stuffed eggplants in a little hot ghee, then add a little water, put on lid, and cook of medium heat until the eggplant is well done. If you want gravy add some extra coriander paste near the end and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.
Bharleli Vangi
4 large brinjals
3 tbs ghee for frying
6 red chillies
2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
a marble seized ball of tamarind paste
salt to taste
¼ cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp asofoetida
Heat one tbs. ghee and fry the red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds lightly. Remove from oil and grind along with turmeric powder, tamarind and salt. When well ground, add the coconut and grind to a fine paste. Slit the brinjals into four pieces up to three-fourths of their length (leave the cap on) and immerse in water. Stuff the brinjals with three-fourths of the ground masala paste. Heat the remaining ghee in a shallow pan and season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds crackle, place the brinjals in the pan and add the remaining masala paste. Saute lightly and add a little water. Cover and cook on low heat, turning the brinjals occasionally to ensure even cooking. When the brinjals are cooked and the gravy is thick, remove from heat. Garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves and offer hot.
Coriander Stuffed Brinjal
Fresh coriander : 3 bunches
Green chillies : 10
Tamarind paste: 2 tablespoons
Salt : 3 teaspoons
Small Brinjals : 10
Ghee : 5 table spoons
Cut the brinjals so that the pieces remain attached at the stalk. Grind coriander, chilies, tamarind and salt into a thick paste. Stuff this mixture into the brinjals. Heat ghee and fry the stuffed brinjals until they’re well cooked.
Lentil Stuffed Eggplant
1/3 cup continental lentils
3-¾ cups water
3 eggplant, medium, leaf ends trimmed
Ghee for frying
4 tomatoes, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp mild curry paste or Garam masala
2 tbsp mint tbsp chopped
1-1/2 tsp asofoetida
1 tsp finely cut chilli
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper
½ cup yogurt
mint sprigs
Rinse the lentils under cold running water. Drain and place in a saucepan with the water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. The consistency should be thick because this will be stuffed in the eggplant. Cook the eggplant in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and dip into cold water for 5-6 minutes. Drain again, then cut in half lengthways and scoop out most of the flesh and set aside for stuffing, leaving a ½ inch thick border to form a shell. Place the eggplant shells in a shallow greased ovenproof dish, brush with a little ghee and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 2 tblsp ghee in a frying pan, add the tomatoes and fry gently for 5 minutes. Chop the scooped eggplant flesh and add to the pan with spices. Cook gently for another 5 minutes. Now add the lentils and mint. Spoon the mixture into the shells. Sprinkle 1 tsp ghee and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold topped with a spoonful of natural yogurt and mint sprigs. Choose nice plump eggplant rather than thin tapering ones as these retain their shape better when filled and baked with a stuffing. Offer hot or cold.
Menthi Vankaya
1 pound Brinjal (small, round and tender)
2 tsp Tamarind paste
For Powder:
4 tbsp Chana dal
4 tbsps black gram
6 dry red chilis
2 tbsps fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 tbsps ghee
salt to taste
A pinch of asofoetida
Wash and slit Brinjal in quarters lengthwise, leaving them connected at the cap. Keep them in cold water. Fry the powder ingredients in a little ghee, then grind into a powder with salt. Stuff the brinjals and sprinkle them with the tamarind extract mixed with a little water. Microwave for 5-6 minutes, then fry them on all sides in a little hot ghee.
Stuffed Brinjal
1 pound small Brinjals
Peanut (Groundnut) ½ cup
Grated coconut ¼ cup
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Mustards 1 tsp
Ghee for frying
Salt 2 tbsp
Fresh coriander 50 gm
Red chilli powder 1 tbsp
Asofoetida 1 tsp
7-8 curry leaves
Wash and slit Brinjal in quarters lengthwise, leaving them connected at the cap. Set in cold water. Mix together the coarse powdered peanut, grated coconut, turmeric powder, finely diced coriander leaves, salt and chilli powder and make a thick paste of this mixture with warm water. Take Brinjals out of water, decant total water content and stuff the paste made above into the brinjal. In a little hot ghee fry the curry leaves, mustard and cumin until they splutter then add stuffed brinjals and fry, covered, moving until all sides are cooked. Remove cover and add enough hot water to just cover the brinjals and cook on medium fire for 10-15 minutes and then on low fire for another 5-7 minutes. If necessary, add hot water. Remove it from the cooking vessel and transfer to a large serving dish. Garnish with a few fresh coriander leaves and fresh grated coconut, and offer.
Stuffed Chinese Eggplants
6 long thin Chinese eggplants
4 fresh, ripe tomatoes chopped fine
1 tsp Panch Phoron
1/2 a fresh coconut, grated
1 small bunch coriander leaves
Handful of hot green chillies
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp hot Madras curry powder
1 tsp Chaat Masala
1 tsp asofoetida
1 inch fresh ginger, minced
Ghee for frying
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
Slit the eggplants lengthwise, almost all the way down to the stem and leave whole. Immerse these in cold water in a large saucepan for at least 1/2 hour. In a little hot ghee fry the panch phoron and split green chillies for about 30 seconds. Now add grated coconut, turn heat down to med-high and stir fry for about a minute. Add turmeric, curry powder and chaat masala. Fry very briefly. Add all remaining ingredients except brinjal and cook into a thick paste, until oil separates. Set aside half the paste. Add 1/2 cup hot water to pan and bring to boil to make gravy. Take pan off the heat.
Lift the eggplants from cold water and dry thoroughly in and out with paper towels. Now stuff them with the thick spice paste that you've set aside. In a little hot ghee fry stuffed eggplants first on high and then on medium heat, turning to fry all sides. Now pour the spiced gravy over the fried eggplants, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with grated coconut and chopped coriander and offer.
Stuffed Eggplant with Sesame Sauce
4 tennis-ball sized eggplants (or slightly bigger)
¼ cup sesame seeds
4 chilies
1 Tablespoon of Poppy seed
1/4 Teaspoon of Turmeric
1 Teaspoon of chili powder
1 Teaspoon of Coriander powder
4 cloves
1 tsp asofoetida
4 cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon powder
A hand full of cilantro leaves
Fry the chili, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon powders for a minute until lightly browned. Remove from heat and add cloves, crushed cardamom, bay leaves. Mix it while the skillet cools down. Add salt and asofoetida to taste. Dry roast the sesame and poppy seeds in a skillet then grind them to coarse powder. The oil in the sesame seeds will make the blend a bit pasty. Take the fried spice mixture and grind to a powder. Set aside half of it. To the other half add 2 cups of water. Mix it in the blender then transfer it to a steamer pot. Wash the eggplant and slit them from the bottom side up in four cuts. Scoop out the inside to accommodate the sesame blend. Secure the loose bottom with a couple of tooth picks or wooden skewers. Put them in the steamer basket and put it over the sesame sauce in the steamer pot. Make sure that the eggplant never comes into contact with the sauce. Steam them for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are tender. Take the eggplants out carefully. Transfer the sauce from the steamer pot to a sauce pan and concentrate it down, reduced to a quarter of its volume. Garnish the sauce with chopped cilantro leaves. Pour sauce over the eggplant and offer.
