Andhra-Style Stuffed Eggplants, And Tips For Traveling Vegan In India
Gutti Vankaya Kura
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8-9 small eggplants (I used the more commonly found purple ones, but if you'd rather use white or the green Thai ones feel free to). Make two slits in the eggplant lengthwise starting at the tip opposite the stem (not all the way through) so you have something that resembles a flower bud with four petals. Place on a baking sheet coated with a spray of oil, spritz with another spray of oil on top of the eggplants, and bake in a 400-degree oven for 8 minutes until the eggplants begin to just tenderize. Remove from the oven and cool.
- For the masala:
- 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet
- 2 dry red chillies
- 2 tablespoon chana dal (bengal gram dal)
- 2 tablespoon udad dal (black gram dal)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10 curry leaves
- 4 cloves of garlic
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet, add the masala ingredients one by one, roasting on a medium-low until they turn a couple of shades darker and are very fragrant.
- Cool the masala ingredients, then powder them coarsely in a blender or a spice grinder.
- Place the masala on a dish and add enough water so that the spices come together in a ball.
- Divide into 8 or 9 pieces (going by the number of eggplants you have). Stuff each spice ball into an eggplant, taking care not to break off any of the petals.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet.
- Add the eggplants one by one (don't overlap) and cook over a medium-low flame, turning over the eggplant four times, once every five minutes, to ensure it is thoroughly cooked on all sides. The eggplant should be fork-tender (meaning a fork should sink into it without resistance).
- Serve hot with rice or chapatis and some dal.