Monday, April 23, 2012

Stuffed Eggplant(Brinjal)/Badanekai Yenngai

This is an awesome accompaniment to chapathi/roti.  You can eat it with rice too.  You can vary the measurements of spice, sweetness and sourness.  But the overall taste should have equal levels of all the three.

Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cook Time - 30 mins
Serves - 2

Measurements & Ingredients:
  • Small round purple eggplant(badanekai) - 5
  • Oil - 2 tspns
  • Onion - 1 small, cut into small pieces
  • Peanuts - 1 handful, roasted and powdered
  • Grated dry coconut - 3-4 tspns
  • Roasted & powdered Sesame seeds(yellu or til)-3 tspns
  • Red chili powder - 1.5 - 2 tspns(depending on your spice level)
  • Powdered or grated jaggery - 4-5 tspns (or depending on the sweetness you need)
  • Tamarind - 1/4 th size of a lemon (or your taste)
  • Cilantro(coriander leaves) - 2-3 sprigs
  • Cinnamon stick - 1/4 th of an inch
  • Cloves - 1
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
  • Salt - to taste
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
  • Asafoetida(hing) - A generous pinch
  • Curry leaves - few
Method:

 Dry roast peanuts and sesame seeds(yellu) and powder them(I stock sesame seeds powder as we use it for several other recipes).




To the same blender add dry coconut, red chili powder, turmeric powder, jaggery, tamarind, cinnamon stick,
 clove,pinch of hing, cilantro(coriander leaves) and salt and powder it without adding water
Take this powder out and to this add 1 tspn oil and mix well.

In a wide pan, add the oil, mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves.  Then add the chopped onions and fry on low medium heat. 

Let it cook.  Simultaneously cut the eggplant(brinjal) length wise until the stalk.  Do not
cut it into pieces.  It should
just have an opening until
the stalk.
 
 Now stuff the powder into the slits.  While doing this, be careful not to cut open the pieces.  You will still have some powder remaining.



 When the onions turn pink, add the stuffed eggplants and the remaining powder to the pan.  Do not stir immediately. 




 Add plenty of water and cook it covered for 15 mins on medium heat.  In between stir it and gently turn the eggplant so that the other side gets cooked too. 



After 15 mins,
lower the heat to low medium and cook it uncovered for another 10
mins with occasional,
gentle stirring.




The curry is now ready to be served!




   

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