Yum! Yum! Yum!

The name 'Gutti Vankaya' itself makes my mouth water! I love this vegetable for two reasons, one it twists so well for all the different variations you try with it, two this is the only vegetable got the privilege to be pictured as romantic vegetable in our Telugu Literacy! I have tried several Gutti Vankaya recipes so far, but still my quest doesn't stop and I keep exploring more recipes with this vegetable. Today I am sharing this recipe, which is quite popular in Andhra region and this recipe will be cherished by non-veg lovers due to onion and other masala ingredients that are used. In this recipe, baby eggplants are stuffed with onion, green chili, red chili spices and simmered on low to medium heat until all the egg plants are cooked thoroughly.  The best taste of his dish comes with only when it served with hot white rice. Here is the recipe, njoy!



Ingredients:
Baby Eggplants (tender) - 12
Oil - 3 Tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Clove - 2
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Ulli Kaaram Masala:
Onion - 2 medium
Green Chili - 3
Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Ginger - 1 inch stick
Garlic - 4 cloves
Tamarind - 1 Tbsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 Tbsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp





Method:

1. Grind Onion, Green Chili, Cilantro, Ginger, Garlic and Tamarind in a small mixie jar and blend into coarse paste. Now add red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder to the onion paste and mix it well together and grind again until it becomes smooth paste. 
2. Wash egg plants, trim the edges and make 4 slits at the bottom making sure they are still intact at the top. (keep the eggplants in water to avoid them from browning). Stuff eggplants with Ulli Kaaram Masala and keep them aside. 
3. Take a wide pan and heat on stove on medium heat. Add Oil, once oil is hot, add cinnamon, clove and cumin seeds. As cumin start spluttering add stuffed eggplants to pan gently one-by-one. Keep them separate from each other allowing eggplants to be cooked on all sides. Keep rotating eggplants gently on all sides and saute them for 5 min. Now add remaining Onion Masala paste to pan and distribute evenly. Cover the lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 15 to 20 min. 
4. After 20 min, remove lid and you notice egg plants are fully cooked becoming tender and masala comes together. Increase heat to medium to high and cook for another 10 min for all the gravy to come thick and together. 
5. Switch off the stove and transfer Stuffed Brinjals to serving bowl and serve hot with White Rice. 

Check out other Vankaya / Brinjal Recipes:

• Gutti Vankaya Recipes

• Vankaya Recipes

• Andhra Recipes

Will be back with another regional recipe
Take care until then
-Mythreyi

In those early married days in my life, every weekend used to result in a phone call to mom, me enquiring about some day-to-day recipe details. :-) Though now I have mastered several recipes by far, still when ever I make a call to mom, i always ask 'What did you make for Dinner?', when she reads the list of dishes, it gives me a homely feeling. Sometimes, when mom spots or tries a new recipe, she shares with me, I always love and cherish this cooking bond between mum and myself. So for this Sankranthi (2017) festival, she shared this new chutney recipe and assured me to try as it tasted so good for her. So I tried for our Pongal potluck here and no need to say my friends Aahhh, Oohhed about it all day! Mom's cooking is the best for everyone, any day. Here is the recipe for you, Njoy!


Ingredients:
Sesame Seeds - Nuvvulu - 1/2 cup
Whole Dried Red Chili - 4 to 5
Chana Dal - 3 Tbsp
Urad Dal - 3 Tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 Tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp
Tomato -  3 medium
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves
Tamarind - 1 Tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp ( adjust per your taste)

Indian Tempering:
Oil - 1 tsp
Whole Dried Red Chili - 1
Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves  - 10

Roasted Sesame and Lentils

Tomato, Tamarind and Spices

Method:

1. Heat non-stick pan on the stove at medium heat. Add sesame seeds to pan and dry roast them for 2 min. Take them out into a plate. (Sesame seeds can quickly get burnt, keep watching and once you start noticing the slight golden color and transfer them to plate).
2. Grind roasted sesame seeds into fine powder in small mixie jar and keep it aside.
3. Add 1 tsp oil in the same pan, add red chili, Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds. Roast them for 2 min until lentils turn into slight golden color. Switch off the stove and transfer these into a wide plate and let them cool. Grind these into coarse powder in small mixie jar. 
4. Now add sesame powder to this mixture and grind it again until everything is combined and turn into fine powder. Keel it aside.
5. Heat non-stick pan, add 1 tsp oil,  once oil is hot, add cumin seeds, garlic cloves, tamarind and tomato cubes. Cook on medium heat until tomato becomes juicy ( for 5 to 6 min). Switch off the stove and let it cool. Transfer this into mixie jar and grind  along with 1 tsp salt. adjust salt per your taste. 
6. Add the spice powder to mixie jar and grind everything together until everything is combined.  Transfer into a bowl. 
7. In a small pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Once oil is hot, add red chili, chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds and curry leaves in the order.  Saute for 1 to 2 min, until lentils turn golden color. Switch off the stove and add this tempering to the chutney in the bowl. Serve with hot white rice or idli / dosa. This tasted super good with Dosa. 

Will be back with another interesting chutney recipe!
Take care until then!
-Mythreyi