Gutti Vankaya Curry (Andhra Style)
Guti Vankaya Kura is a stuffed eggplant curry from the Andhra cuisine. The stuffing is made from a mix of desiccated coconut, peanuts and spices, which is ground finely. Small tender brinjals are stuffed with this ground masala and then cooked. A bit of tamarind pulp is added to the gravy for a faint sour taste. This recipe is vegan as well as gluten free.
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 3 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 250 g small purple or green brinjals ((baingan) or 12 to 14 brinjals)
- 1/2 tsp salt (added to water for soaking brinjals)
- enough water for soaking brinjals
- 1 large onion (or 1/2 cup finely chopped onion)
- 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste (or 1 inch ginger + 6 to 7 medium garlic - crushed to a paste)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp urad dal
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2/3 cup water
- salt as required
- 2 to 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- 1/2 tbsp tamarind
- 1/4 cup warm or hot water
- 1/4 cup peanuts
- 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp methi seeds ((fenugreek seeds))
- 3 to 4 dry red chilies
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Instructions
- 1
First soak tamarind in ¼ cup warm or hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- 2
Then squeeze and extract the soaked tamarind into the water. Keep the tamarind pulp aside.
- 3
Heat a small frying pan. Add peanuts and roast them on a low to medium flame, with frequent stirrings.
- 4
The peanuts have to be roasted well and should not have even a slight rawness in them. Remove the peanuts and keep aside.
- 5
To the same pan, add 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp methi seeds. Skip methi seeds if you do not have them.
- 6
Roast these seeds too till they become fragrant. Take care not to over roast or burn them. Remove and keep aside.
- 7
In the same pan, now add 2 tbsp desiccated coconut. You can also use fresh coconut instead of desiccated coconut.
- 8
Stir continuously and roast the coconut till light golden. Remove and keep aside.
- 9
Add 3 to 4 dry red chilies.
- 10
Roast the chilies till the red color changes a shade. You should also get the aroma while roasting them. Once they become aromatic and the color changes, remove and keep aside.
- 11
Once cooled, break the red chilies in small pieces and remove the seeds.
- 12
Now let the spices cool and then take all of them in a grinder jar.
- 13
Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
- 14
Now add the tamarind pulp and 3 to 4 tbsp water.
- 15
Grind everything to a smooth thick masala. Do grind to a thick paste, otherwise stuffing the brinjals will not be easy.
- 16
Now rinse and slit each brinjal from the base, keeping the stalks. Soak the brinjals in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- 17
Then drain and keep aside. To make the brinjals stand while cooking, just thinly slice a small part from the base.
- 18
Later stuff each brinjal very well with the masala paste. Keep aside. Some masala paste will remain. So keep this aside too.
- 19
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
- 20
Then add urad dal and cumin seeds.
- 21
Saute till the urad dal turns a maroonish red.
- 22
Then add finely chopped onions and curry leaves.
- 23
Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- 24
Now add ginger-garlic paste.
- 25
Add the remaining masala paste along with ⅔ cup water. Mix very well.
- 26
Now place the stuffed brinjals gently in the cooker.
- 27
Sprinkle salt as per taste.
- 28
Cover and pressure cook gutti vankaya curry for 5 to 6 minutes.
- 29
When the pressure settles down, open the lid. Check the doneness by sliding a knife through a brinjal. If the knife slids easily, then the brinjals are cooked.
- 30
If they are not cooked, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and pressure cook gutti vankaya curry for 2 to 3 minutes more or till done.
- 31
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve gutti vankaya kura with chapatis or steamed rice.
- 32
This curry also goes very well with jowar roti or bajra roti.