Stuffed Eggplant in Tamarind Curry — Gutti Vankaya
An Andhra stuffed eggplant curry — small eggplants filled with a peanut-sesame-coconut masala and slow-simmered in a tangy tamarind gravy.
Indian
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Trim eggplant stems, keeping whole. Toast peanuts in dry skillet over medium heat 3 minutes until golden. Add sesame seeds, coconut, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, and dried red chillies; toast 90 seconds more until fragrant. Cool 1 minute. Grind toasted mixture with Kashmiri chilli powder, 0.5 tsp turmeric, 0.5 tsp salt, and 4 tbsp water into thick coarse paste. Chop onion, mince ginger-garlic paste, slit green chillies lengthwise.
Stuff
Slit each eggplant lengthwise into quarters from bottom up, leaving stem intact. Stuff each eggplant with 1–2 tsp spice paste, pushing into slits. Reserve remaining paste. Sprinkle stuffed eggplants with pinch of salt.
Sear
Heat 4 tbsp oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Place stuffed eggplants in single layer (work in batches if needed to avoid crowding). Cover and cook 8–10 minutes on medium-low, turning gently every 2 minutes, until deeply golden on all sides and beginning to soften. Remove and set aside.
Build
Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to pan. Add mustard seeds, let pop 20 seconds. Add curry leaves and onion; cook 3 minutes on medium until onion softens. Stir in ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, and reserved spice paste; cook 90 seconds until raw smell fades.
Simmer
Add tamarind paste, jaggery, 0.5 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, and 400ml (1 3/4 cup) hot water. Stir and bring to gentle simmer on medium-low. Return stuffed eggplants, nestling into gravy. Cover and simmer 12–15 minutes on low, spooning gravy over occasionally, until eggplants are completely tender and gravy is glossy.
Rest and plate
Remove from heat and rest 2 minutes. Transfer eggplants and gravy to serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve with steamed rice, ragi mudde, or paratha, lime pickle, and roasted papad.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.