Vankaya Kura-a Tangy Andhra Style Eggplant Recipe

Entering the kitchens of Hyatt Hyderabad Gachibowli, during the mid-day, you actually feel yourself a part of a battle ground. With the sounds of rustling knives, the steam horns or the call of the restaurant manager order, there is a lot of activity going on. Each and every individual doing a bit to bring out the best he or she can. Amidst this, we see one person moving around with all smiles, creating wisps of magic and settling the odds.  This is more than just a help, an inspiration to everyone.

Chef Anand Kumar, the man behind this magic, started his career in 2002, with JW Marriott Mumbai as a kitchen management trainee. A young lad, who initially picked up knives in the magnificent property, would have never thought what he would become. Now, Chef Anand serves as an Executive Chef at Hyatt Hyderabad Gachibowli. He believes in sharing his knowledge and know-how with one and all. He specializes in Arabic, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Italian and western cuisine, although today as per our request, in order to get the local flavour of Hyderabad, he shares a delicious Andhra style eggplant recipe. I have often mentioned in my earlier blogs that eggplant to me is the litmus test of a good chef. If he can make eggplant taste tantalising and exotic, he certainly is super talented. This is indeed one of the best eggplant recipes tasted by us:

Vankaya Kura (Small eggplant curry)

For soaking brinjals:

Ingredients                                                                  Quantity

Small purple or green brinjals                           250 grams

Salt                                                                                  ½ teaspoon

Water                                                                              Enough for soaking the brinjal

Other ingredients:

Ingredients                                                                  Quantity

Large onion chopped                                           1no

Ginger garlic paste                                                  ½ tablespoon

Mustard seeds                                                         1 teaspoon

Urad dal                                                                       ½ teaspoon

Cumin seeds                                                              ½ teaspoon

Curry leaves                                                               1 sprig

Oil                                                                                   2 tablespoon

Water                                                                              ⅔ cup

Salt                                                                                  as required

Chopped coriander leaves                                2 to 3 tablespoon

For tamarind pulp:

Ingredients                                                                  Quantity

Tamarind                                                                     ½ tablespoon

Warm or hot water                                                   ¼ cup

For masala:

Ingredients                                                                  Quantity

Peanuts                                                                        60 gms

Desiccated coconut                                              2 tablespoon

Coriander seeds                                                     1 tablespoon

Cumin seeds                                                              ½ teaspoon

Methi seeds                                                                ¼ teaspoon

Dry red chilies                                                          3 to 4

Turmeric powder                                                    ½ teaspoon

Method of preparation of tamarind pulp:

·             Soak the tamarind hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.

·             Then squeeze and extract the soaked tamarind into the water.

·             Keep the tamarind pulp aside.

Method of preparation of roasting peanuts, spices and coconut:

·             Heat a frying pan and add all the spices for masala and broil them and keep aside

·             Grind everything to a smooth paste

Method of preparation of stuffing of Brinjal:

·             Now rinse and slit each brinjal from the base, keeping the stalks, soak the brinjals in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.

·             Then drain and keep aside. to make the brinjals stand while cooking, just thinly slice a small part

from the base.

·             Stuff each brinjal very well with the masala paste and keep aside some masala paste for gravy.

Method of preparation of gravy

·             Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker, add 1 tsp mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.

·             Then add ½ tsp urad dal and ½ tsp cumin seeds.

·             Sauté till the urad dal turns a light brown.

·             Then add ½ cup finely chopped onion and 1 sprig of curry leaves.

·             Sauté till the onions turn translucent.

·             Now add ½ tbsp ginger garlic paste.

·             Add the remaining masala paste along with 2/3 cup water and mix it very well.

·             Now place the stuffed brinjals gently in the vessel.

·             Season as per requirement

·             Cover the lid till you see the brinjal is tender

·             Garnish with coriander leaves and serve gutti vankaya Kura with chapatis or steamed rice.