Baby Eggplant curry

Baby eggplant curry / Guththi vankaya koora / Badanekayi huli ….This is a creamy & mouth melting eggplant recipe that goes well with Steamed white rice / roti …& you never know if you like it extremely you might end up eating just the curry … no sides required....I mean it !

Baby Eggplant Curry

Ingredients for Masala : 

Peanuts - 1/8 cup

Dry coconut - 1/8 cup grated / flakes

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick

Cloves - 2 to 3

White sesame seeds - 1 tea spoon

Poppy seeds / gusagasalu - 1 tea spoon

dry red chili - 2 (roasted)

Grind all the above into a fine paste and keep it aside.

Other Ingredients :

Baby eggplants - 5 to 6 (pick small to medium sized)

Water - 1cup

Tamarind juice - 2 tbl spoons

Onion - 1 chopped (medium sized)

Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 tbl spoon

Red chili powder - 1 tbl spoon

Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon

Oil  - To pan fry the eggplants & for the curry

Fresh Coriander Leaves - 1 cup ( chopped )

Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon

Fresh cream / curd - 1 tbl spoon ( optional)

Salt - As per the taste

Preparation :

Slit the eggplants into 4 quarts but keep the eggplant intact with the stem (Don't cut off the stem).

Good to take a shallow bottomed sauce pan which has lid. Add some 4 to 5 tbl spoons of oil to the pan and shallow fry the eggplants but don't overcook. Once done with frying take them onto a plate & keep them aside.

Now, in the same pan (oil is already there in the pan which is used to fry the eggplants, if you prefer to add, add 1 or 2 tbl spoons of oil to the pan) add chopped onions and fry them until they turn brownish.

Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the chilli powder,  turmeric and coriander powder. Add the prepared masala stir for a minute & them add the tamarind juice and stir again. Now add the water and mix well all the gravy & cover the pan with the lid leaving it to cook for 5 minutes on low heat. 

You can see the gravy thickening, at this point you can adjust the water as per your preference. Add salt , fresh cream or curd (fresh cream / curd is optional) and mix the gravy once. Now slowly place the fried eggplants in the gravy & cover them with the gravy. Cover the pan with the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes on a low heat.

Taste the gravy for salt & adjust, if needed leave it to cook for some time. Once cooked, turn off the heat and garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.

I am sure you will enjoy this recipe !!!