Yum! Yum! Yum!

1. Bagara Baingan - Hydarabadi Style
2. Gutti Vankaya for Non-veg Lovers
3. Ulli Kaaram Gutti Vankaya

Lasooni Baingan

• Chop Onion length wise. Chop tomatoes into very thin pieces or if you have chunky tomatoes, grate them. Peel and chop ginger into very thin sticks (julienne cut)
• Trim and chop Eggplant into 1 inch cube size and keep them in warm water with salt. This prevents eggplant from blackening.
• Remove peel from garlic pods and trim edges of green chilies. Grind garlic cloves and green chili in small mixie jar to coarse paste.
• Heat 1/4 oil Oil in kadai. Drain eggplant pieces from salt water and squueze with your hands to remove any excess water. Then fry egg plant pieces in kadai for about 5 min on medium flame. This helps in Eggplant pieces retaining their color and shape with out getting mushy in the curry. Eggplant pieces become tender, take them out of oil and transfer them into a plate and keep aside.

1. Heat the same kadai that is used to fry eggplants. There will be some oil in it already. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds. Once mustard splutters add roughly ground fenugreek seeds. 
2. Add chopped onions and ginger slices and saute well with tempering. Add turmeric powder and keep the flame to medium to low, allowing onions to saute and caramelize.
3. Now add ground garlic and green chili paste to pan. saute for 5 min. Now, Add tomato pieces or grated puree to pan and mix everything very well. Add red chili powder and let the curry simmer. The curry comes together becoming thick. 
4. Now add fried eggplants to curry and mix with onion & tomato masala. Close the lid and let it cook covered for 5 min.
5. Open the lid and increase flame to medium to high, cook uncovered until curry comes together. Now add Coriander powder and salt, mix well with curry. 
6. Cook on high for couple of minutes, then switch off the stove. Transfer curry to serving bowl and garnish with Cilantro. 

• Good thing about this curry is you can use any chunky variety of Brinjal/Eggplant. American style Eggplant or Italian Eggplant will be perfect for this recipe. 
• This recipe calls for large amount of oil compare to any typical curry, don't skim on Oil that will discount the taste. 
• Fenugreek is another secret ingredient that enhances the flavor greatly for this curry. Make sure you add right amount and grind seeds coarsely in hand mortar while adding them to tempering. Fenugreek is bitter in taste, use it sparingly.
• Garlic is star ingredient in this curry, used in large amount and the reason for bold flavors in this curry. If you can't use Garlic for religious purposes, unfortunately there is no alternative to replace garlic in this curry. However this Eggplant Tomato Curry should be your go to recipe.

• First chop Onion into thin slices length wise to match with eggplant pieces.
• Wash and pat dry Eggplants, remove the stem and cut into 3 sections width wise and cut each piece into long thin slices length wise.
• Grind Fresh Coconut ( chop into small pieces), Peeled Garlic Cloves and Green Chili in a small mixie jar until everything is combined and get powdered consistency. this will be little wet but shouldn't become like paste. 

1. Heat non-stick pan and add Oil. Once the oil is hot add Red Chili, followed by Chana Dal, Urad Dal. As lentils brown add cumin seeds and mustard seeds, as mustards start spluttering add Curry Leaves. 
2. Add onion slices to the pan and mix with tempering, saute for 2 min until onions are wilted.
3. Add Eggplant slices to the pan and mix well with onions and keep the flame in sim and saute for 5 min. Add salt and coriander powder and mix well until eggplants are coated with spices. Saute on low heat for another 5 min. 
4. Now you notice eggplants are fried and wilted to half, now add the Coconut & Garlic Masala powder to non-stick pan and mix well with eggplants pieces until well combined. Now increase the heat o medium high and saute on high for another 5 min or until eggplant pieces are fully cooked.
5. Taste and adjust salt or any seasoning. Top with Cilantro and switch off the stove, leave the pan on stove for 5 minutes for the flavors to settle. Now transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately with White Rice and enjoy the delicious flavors! 

• Add 1 tsp of salt to 1 cup of luke warm water and add eggplant pieces to this water in a bowl. This stops the eggplant from becoming black. 
• When you are adding the eggplants to pan, squeuze the eggplants to remove any excess water and add to pan. This tip helps the eggplant fry to make little dry. 
• I usually won't add red chili powder as this masala is subtle and loaded with green chili spicy flavor. If you want more spicy version or your green chili are not that spicy, then you can add 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder in step 3 along with salt. 

Gutti Podugu Vankaya Vepudu

Ingredients: Long Eggplants - 10 ( Podugu Vankaya) Onion - 1 medium Green Chili - 2 Coriander Leaves - 2 Tbsp Salt - 1 tsp Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder - 1 tsp Rice Flour - 1 Tbsp Oil - 1 Tbsp Tempering: Oil - 1 Tbsp Whole Red Chili - 2 Chana Dal - 1 tsp Urad Dal - 1 tsp Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1 tsp Curry Leaves -  10 ( or 2 stems)

Preparatory Steps: Mix 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp of red chili powder and 1/2 tsp of coriander powder and 1 Tbsp of Rice flour in a small bowl and keep it aside. Wash and pat dry eggplants. Shorten the stems and make 4 slits by keeping it intact at the stem end. Rub the spice mixture inside and outside all over eggplants carefully making sure the eggplants are still intact at the stem.

1. Heat the non-stick pan, add 1 Tbsp Oil. Once the oil is hot, add red chili, followed by Chana Dal, Urad Dal, Cumin seeds. Sauté for 1 min until the lentil are turning into golden color, then add mustard seeds and turmeric powder. As mustards starts spluttering, add curry leaves and reduce the heat to low. That completes our tempering.
2. Add chopped Green Chili and Onion to the pan and mix with tempering.  Close the lid and let onions cook until their raw smell is gone. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp coriander powder  to the onion slices and mix it well. 
3. Now add the spice covered eggplants to the pan one at a time making sure each one is touching the pan. 
4. Cook on low heat for 5 min, and turn each eggplant to the other side holding gently at their stems. Cook on other side for 5 more minutes. Now close the lid and let the eggplants simmer for few more minutes. Now add 2 Tbsp of coriander leaves to eggplants in the pan. Cook for 2 more minutes.
   
5. You notice eggplants are cooked on all sides and becoming very soft and changing their color.
6. Turn off the heat and keep them in the pan for 10 more minutes and after that transfer them to the wide bowl and serve with hot rice. The taste and flavor of this simple stir-fry will take you out of the world.
   

• For this stir-fry, the eggplants should be very tender and thin.
• you need to cook these on low heat, otherwise eggplants can easily burnt as these cook very fast.

White Thai Eggplant Stir-Fry

• These thai eggplants will have lot of seeds in it, so you need to saute them in oil first to make them soft. Trim the stem edge and Cut the Eggplant into round circle and saute them in 1 Tbsp of Oil and keep them aside.
• Grind the ingredients under Spicy Seasoning into fine paste in a small mixie jar. 

1. Take the same nonstick pan that you have sauteed eggplants before, add 1 tsp oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add thinly sliced onions to it, saute until onions become translucent.
2. Now add the sauteed Eggplant rounds to the pan. Once the eggplant slices are mixed with onions, add some salt to it and leave it on medium flame for 5 min. 
3. Now add the spicy seasoning to the pan and mix it well gently, and stir fry for another 5 min until the everything is well combined and cooked. 
4. Taste and adjust salt and Finally top with some cilantro on top and switch off the stove.
5. Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately with hot white rice.

small baby eggplants / Aubergines

1. Take a non-stick pan and add  2 Tbsp oil to it. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. As they start spluttering add curry leaves.
2. Add finely chopped green chili and onions to the pan and saute them for 2 min. Now add turmeric powder, salt and coriander powder and mix it well. 
3. Add stuffed eggplants to the pan and mix it with onion mixture. Turn the heat to medium low and close the lid and let it cook for 10 min. 
4. Now open lid and check the tenderness of eggplants, turn the eggplant to other side to allow to cook on all sides and add any remaining peanut and sesame stuffing powder to the non-stick pan. Close the lid and cook another 10 min. 
5. Open the lid and now the eggplants must be fully cooked, looking tender and about to start getting roasted. Taste and adjust salt or other seasonings. Garnish with Cilantro and turn off the heat. Let it stand there for 5 min. Serve hot with white rice to get the best flavor out of it. 

Take a Close Peek! Don't you feel like take one and eat right away!

• Chop Eggplant, Zucchini and Onion in length wise in consistent size. 
• Grind the Ingredients under Spice Powder to coarse powder.

1. Heat the non stick pan and add Oil to it. Once the Oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Add the Chopped Onion and Green Chili and saute them well. ( for 3 min).
2. Add the Eggplant and Zucchini slices to the pan and stir-fry on medium heat for 5 min.
3. Once the vegetables become soft add salt, red chili powder, coriander powder and stir-fry them for another 2 min.
4. Now add the spice powder to the pan and mix well until vegetables are coated with. Keep the heat on high and stir-fry for 3 to 4 min. 
5. Taste and adjust the seasonings, switch off the heat and transfer to serving plate and garnish with cilantro. 

Gutti Vankaya Curry (for Non Veg Lovers)

• Chop 1 onion into big pieces and grind into smooth paste in the grinder or blender.
• Roast the red chili and poppy seeds in the pan. Cool it off, and grind it into smooth paste along with cashew nuts. Keep this paste aside.

1. Cut the baby eggplants into 4 quarters (make slits). Fill the onion stuffing in the baby egg plant slits.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the non-stick pan, add cardamom, clove and cinnamon. Once the nice aroma comes, add the chopped onions and green chili. Let the oil separate from onions. Add the Stuffed Eggplants to the pan and fry them on medium until they are cooked well on out side. Now add the remaining onion paste and add chopped tomatoes.
3. Add the salt, red chili powder, coriander powder and close the lid. Let the baby egg plants cook with the masala for 5 min.  until they are soft inside.
4. Now add the cashew and poppy seeds paste to the gravy and close the lid and cook for another 5 min. 
5. Taste and adjust the seasonings, top with remaining cilantro and close the lid. Switch off the stove, but leave the pan on the stove for 5 min. 

• This goes very well with any mild flavored rice like Pualo or Jeera Rice.
• As all the masalas we used in this curry are used in chicken curry, non veg lovers will love this version for sure. 

Brinjal Comes in Bengali Style

• Wash and Pat dry the Eggplant. Slice horizontally into 1/2 inch thick slices. 
• Place these rounds in slated water for 5 - 10 min to avoid dis-coloring or turning into black. Drain these and pat dry the rounds and keep aside.

1. In a small bowl mix the salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.  Coat the egg plant rounds with this spice mixture and marinate for 5-7 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Take rice flour in a plate. Coat each slice with rice flour on both sides. ( do not coat on the side edges leaving the skin open)
3. Now pan fry these rounds till crisp and golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve hot with rice or roti along with some raita on the side.

You have to add at least 2 foods form purple group to your plate per week.

all spiced up and looking slurpyy already!

Coat with Rice Flour for crispier outside...

Vankaya Pachi Pulusu / Roasted Eggplant Stew

1. First Roast the Eggplant on the Flame on the stove. Or you can grill it for the best taste, if you have grill handy.
2. And then peel all the roasted skin. (it comes very easily, if it is perfectly done). and take away the stem or trim the edge and let it cool.   
3. Take 1/2 cup of water and add tamarind and microwave it on high for 1 min.  Let it cool, and extract the tamarind juice or thick paste out of it.
4. Mash the roasted egg plant and take it into a bowl.
5. Add salt, chopped onions, chopped green chili, red chili flakes and mix it very well. 
6. Add the tamarind paste to the bowl and mix it very well and add 1/2 cup of water.
7. Now taste and  adjust the seasonings accordingly. For your desired consistency add some more water as you needed. Top it with Tempering. That is it, it is ready to be served now.

Eggplant and Cucumber Chutney

This is the Eggplant I used.

1. Heat the Oil in non stick pan. Once the oil is hot, add the Cumin seeds, crushed Garlic Cloves and green chilies.
2. Add the chopped eggplant cubes and let them cook on low for 10 min.
3. Once the Egg plants becomes soft, add the chopped tomato. Close with the lid and cook for 10 min. (The tomatoes oozes water and makes the mixture soggy.) 
4. Turn off the heat and Let it cool for 10 min. 
5. Grind this mixture in the mixie (or mortar), along with salt and cilantro. Taste and adjust all seasonings.  Take this into bowl and keep it aside.
6. Now peel the cucumber and cut vertically. Take out the seeds roughly using spoon. and chop into small cubes. Add these cubes to the Chutney and mix well. 
7. Now prepare the Thadka (Indian Tempering) and add it to the chutney in the Bowl.

Vankaya and Dosakaya Pachadi