Crisp at the edges and tender through the middle, Brinjal Fry (Vankaya Fry) is a Indian side made with simple everyday ingredients in about 30 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 250 grams brinjal ((vankaya, eggplants))
  • 1½ to 2 tablespoons Oil
  • 3 green chilies (slit (adjust to taste))
  • 1 sprig curry leaves ((optional, pat dry))
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 2 chopped garlic cloves)
  • ½ teaspoon salt ((divided + more to adjust))
  • 1½ teaspoon lemon juice ((refer notes))
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder ((optional, leave out if using green chilies))
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala (or 1 to 2 teaspoons idli podi)
  • 3 tablespoons peanuts (or ½ cup fresh/ frozen green peas)

Method

Preparation

  1. Pour 2 cups water to a bowl and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep this aside.
  2. Rinse brinjals & slice them or cut to desired sizes. I chop them to ¾ to 1 inch pieces. Add them to salted water.

How to Make Brinjal Fry

  1. Heat oil in a wok or a pan. Add cumin & mustard. Let them splutter.
  2. Add ginger garlic paste & green chilies. Saute quickly until aromatic for a minute.
  3. Now add chopped brinjal, salt & turmeric. Stir fry on a medium high flame for 3 mins.
  4. Then cover and cook till soft on a low flame stirring in between. While these cook, proceed to the next step.
  5. Optional: This brinjal fry recipe can be made without peanuts too but they impart a nutty taste. So this step is optional. Dry roast or air fry them until golden and aromatic. Cool & crush them coarsely either in a mortar pestle or grinder. (check pics in the post)
  6. When the brinjals are completely cooked and soft, add curry leaves, crushed peanuts & garam masala (or idli podi).
  7. Stir fry on a medium heat until aromatic for 2 to 3 mins. Taste test and add red chilli powder & salt if you want.
  8. Turn off and when the brinjal fry cools down a bit, pour lemon juice if you want.
  9. Serve brinjal fry with rice, chapati or Rasam-rice or Sambar-rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.