Stuffed Brinjal/Eggplant Curry - Andhra Style

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Indian Eggplants/ Brinjals - 5 small sized

2. Onion - 1 medium

3. Oil - 3 tablespoon

4. Chana dal - 1 teaspoon

5. Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

6. Curry leaves - few

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

8. Jaggery grated - 1 teaspoon

9. Tamarind - small lemon sized, extract pulp

10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

11. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon or as per spice level

12.  Salt to taste

To dry roast, you need:

1. Peanuts - 2 tablespoon

2. Dried red chillies - 3-4 

3. Coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon

4. Sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon

5. Fenugreek seeds/ Methi - 1/4 teaspoon

6. Coconut grated - 3-4 tablespoon

7. Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

8. Cloves - 3 

9. Cumin seeds/ Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon

10. Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Indian Eggplants

Method:

1. Wash the eggplants and make a slit diagonally with the stalk intact.

2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil and fry these eggplants for around 5-7 minutes until the skin slightly softens.Keep them aside.  

3. Take an another pan, heat it on medium flame and dry roast peanuts until the skin turns brown color. 

4. In the same pan, add rest of the ingredients mentioned in "To dry roast" section and roast for around 10 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow the ingredients to cool down.

5. Grind the dry roasted ingredients along with tamarind pulp and salt(around 1/2 teaspoon) into a fine paste.

6. Stuff this paste into each of the eggplants and keep them aside. 

7. Take 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add chana dal and urad dal and fry until they turn golden brown in color. Add curry leaves and finely sliced onions. Saute until onions turn translucent. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well. 

8. Add stuffed eggplants, any remaining masala paste, around 1 cup of water, grated jaggery and check for salt. Cover and cook on low- medium flame until the eggplants are well done. Check by piercing the eggplants with a fork.

Serve this curry with chapathi/rice.