These curried brinjals are stuffed with a peanut masala and simmered with fresh curry leaves and spices. This a popular side dish from Andhra and Telangana, eaten with rice or chapati.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Andhra

Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 brinjals ((young eggplants))
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste ((or ¾ teaspoon each grated))
  • ¾ cup (1 small) onions (thinly sliced or chopped)
  • ½ cup (1 small) tomato (chopped, omit if you don't like)
  • 1 to 2 green chilies (slit)
  • 1 to 1½ tablespoon lemon juice (or tamarind paste as needed)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons oil
  • ¾ cup water ((more if required))
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves ((chopped, to garnish))
  • 4 to 6 dried red chilies ((as per choice or 1 tsp red chili powder))
  • ¼ cup peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons raw coconut ((or use unsweetened shredded coconut))
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds ((optional))
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds ((or use ground))
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds ((or use ground))
  • 1 inch cinnamon piece
  • 3 cloves
  • 2 green cardamom
  • ½ teaspoon salt ((adjust to taste))

Method

  1. Roast the ingredients: Dry roast peanuts and red chilies until the peanuts turn aromatic and crunchy. Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon. Toast until the cumin seeds turn smell aromatic.
  2. Make the peanut masala: Add the coconut and toast for 2 mins, followed by sesame. When they begin to splutter, turn off. Cool them and add to a grinder along with salt and lemon juice or tamarind. Grind as fine as possible.
  3. Prepare the eggplants: Wash and cut brinjals with one end of the brinjal and the stalk leaving intact. Keep them immersed in salted water till you use.
  4. Temper: Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, cumin, curry leaves and hing if using.
  5. Make the curry: Once they begin to splutter, add onions and green chilies. Saute till they turn golden. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add chopped tomato, turmeric and salt. Cook until the tomato turns mushy.
  6. Stuff the eggplants: Meanwhile stuff the brinjals with as much masala as possible and add them to the pan. Saute just for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour water and the remaining stuffing if any. Cover and cook on a low to medium flame until eggplants are tender, adding more water if required.
  7. Taste test and adjust salt or lemon juice. Garnish Gutti Vankaya Curry with finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot rice, ghee or chapati.

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.