Andhra style Gutti Vankaya fry - Stuffed brinjal fry recipe

Gutti vankaya fry made with roasted brinjals is one of the perfect side dish with steamed rice.  The telugu people of Andhra Pradesh immensely love the Vankaya or the brinjal especially in its stuffed avatar.  The best and favourite way to eat brinjal in Andhra and Telengana regions is in the form of Gutti Vankaya fry.  The Gutti vankaya is unique in terms of the texture and flavor.

The secret behind the andhra style gutti vankaya fry is the unique combination of spices and lentils roasted perfectly and ground to a coarse powder which works as stuffing.  The stuffed brinjals are slowly roasted to perfection with a featherly touch of a tamarind.  Some jaggery is also added to the gutti vankaya fry. This Gutti vankaya fry can be served with hot steamed rice, pappu, papad.  A meal with Gutti vankaya fry makes it as a perfect meal.

We have to select fresh, tender and glossy purple baby brinjals for making Gutti vankaya fry in order to make it tasty.  Please dont use brinjals which are light, hollow and have wrinkled skin.  The lentins used to be roasted in a slow flame till red to have good taste.  Let us now see how to make Gutti vankaya fry recipe.

Ingredients required :

• Baby egg plants or purple brinjals -  300 to 350 grams..  wash make + quarters with stalk and apply oil
• Jaggery -  1 tsp
• Tamarind -  small gooseberry size soak in 1/3 cup of warm water and extract juice
• Salt as required

For stuffing :

• Coriander seeds -  1 1/2 tbsps ( Dhaniyalu )
• Chana dal ( Senaga pappu ) -- 2 1/2 tbsp
• Urad Dal ( Minapa pappu ) -  1 tbsp
• Cumin seeds ( Jeera ) -- 1/2 tbsp
• Red chillies -- 4 to 5 nos.  tear and de-seed
• Sesame seeds -  1 1/2 tbsp ( nuvvulu )
• Methi seeds ( menthulu ) -- 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste  - 1/2 tsp

For tempering:

• Oil  -  2 to 3 table spoons
• Mustard seeds -  1/2 tbsp
• Asafoetida -  1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves -  few leaves

How to make gutti vankaya fry :

• Add 1/2 tsp oil in a wide cooking vessel, add coriander seeds and stir fry till it turns slightly dark in color. Remove. 
• Similarly, add channa dal and urad dal, roast till them till they turn red and remove. Dry roast dry red chillis, methi seeds, and cumin together till the methi seeds turn red in color. (ensure methi seeds are nicely roasted) Add sesame seeds and roast for a min and remove. Cool the dry roasted ingredients.
• Add salt to the roasted ingredients and grind them all together to a coarse powder. Stuff each brinjal with the coarsely ground powder.
• In the  same vessel, add the remaining oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add asafoetida and curry leaves and toss them for a few seconds. Place the stuffed brinjals as a single layer and cook on high flame for 3 mins.
• Place  a lid and let them cook on low flame for 12 mins. Keep checking on them at regular intervals and flip them over to ensure they don't burn or stick to the pan.
• Continue to roast the brinjals without the lid for another 10 mins on low flame. Check at regular intervals and flip over. Sprinkle the tamarind extract over the brinjals along with the grated jaggery and, 1/2 tsp salt and continue to cook them till they turn soft. It should take approx 15-20 mins for the brinjals to be well roasted. There will be no moisture left.
• Do check if salt is required and adjust salt accordingly.

Serve with steaming hot rice and a dollop of ghee along with papad.

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