Vankaya Pachi Pulusu(Eggplant chutney)

Brinjal/Eggplant Chutney:

Hi friends, welcome to my blog. I am here to share my favorite recipe Brinjal/Eggplant chutney, or you can even call it as Vankaya Pachi Pulusu in Telugu. I learned this recipe from my mother-in -law.

This recipe is very easy and can be cooked within 15 minutes, so this is an ideal lunchbox recipe 😀.

Now going into preparation of making this chutney, you need the below ingredients:

1.     Medium size brinjals(Vankaya) -- 2

2.     Tamarind(Chintapandu) --small lemon size.

3.     Salt -- as per taste

4.     Turmeric(Pasupu) --1 teaspoon.

5.     Ginger(Allam) -- finely chopped

6.     Green chilies(Pachimirapakayalu) -- 2 to 3.

7.     Curry leaves(Karivepaku).

8.     Urad dal(Minapappu) -- 1 tea spoon.

9.     Mustard seeds(Avalu) -- 1 tea spoon.

10.Garlic -- 10 to 15 cloves.

11.Asafetida(Hing) -- 1/2 tea spoon.

12.Dry red chilly(Endu mirapakayalu) -- 2.

13.Onions -- 2 medium size.

14.Oil -- 3 to 4 table spoons.

Preparation:

1. I used 2 medium size brinjals /1 big size brinjal also serves the purpose.

2. Take a bowl and add a piece of tamarind block to it. Now soak it in warm water for about 10 minutes till it softens. Next extract the juice from the tamarind with your fingers as much as possible, strain the juice and discard pulp. 

3. You need to cook the brinjals on stove as shown below and need to flip the brinjal once it turns black on one side. Cook the brinjal completely till it turns black on all sides and is soft and mushy inside. See the image shown below.

Note: Hold the stem of brinjal while flipping it, so you don’t feel the heat.

                                                    

4. Once it is completely cooked switch of the stove and transfer the brinjal to the plate and let it cool down completely.

5. Peel of the black layer on top of brinjal as shown below.

    Note: To peel the layer easily, sprinkle some cold water when the brinjal is hot.

                                                  

6. Once the brinjal is completely cooled then remove the stem of brinjal and smash the brinjal into a fine paste using your fingers as shown below.

                                                           

7. Now take a bowl and add tamarind juice, a pinch of turmeric and salt as per your      taste (I added 1 and half tea spoon of salt). Add 2 medium size glasses of water to it.

         Note: Add less water if you want the chutney to be thick. See the picture below.

                                                        

8. Mix the finely smashed brinjal paste to the tamarind juice.

9.Place a pan on the stove and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil.

10. Once the oil is heated add 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon of Urad dal, 2 dry red chilies, 10 to 15 garlic cloves and fry until they turn a little bit brown.

11. Add chopped onions, green chilies, finely chopped ginger, curry leaves, a pinch of Hing and fry all the ingredients till they turn brown. See the picture below.

12.Once all the ingredients are fried then pour the brinjal juice in the pan and let it simmer for a minute. But do not boil it.

                                                         

13. Transfer the contents to a bowl  and add some chopped corriander or kothimeera.   Now its ready to eat.

                                                                

This recipe  goes well with Pulagam or Moong dal rice. You can even eat it with white rice too.

Please do try this recipe and let me know your valuable comments below 😀.