Vankaya Vepudu

Vankaya vepudu (Brinjal Fry with roasted bengal gram powder)

This is another tasty dish with brinjal that my mother in law prepares and is a good when accompanied with pappu charu, sambhar, or dal.

Ingredients

Fresh Brinjals - 10

Oil - 4 tb sps.

salt to taste.

for powder

Roasted bengal gram - 1 cup (also called putnala pappu/vepudu senagapappu)

Dried red chillies - 10

jeera - 1 t sp

salt - 1 tb sp

for seasoning

mustard seeds - 1 t sp

jeera - 1 tsp

curry leaves - 1 sprig

urad dal (minapappu) - 2 tb sps

dried red chillies - 4

onions - 2 (slit length wise)

green chillies - 6

Onions, chillies and roasted bengal gram powder

1. Heat a pan and fry roasted bengal gram, dried red chillies, jeera in low flame for about 4 mts. Switich of the flame when bengal gram starts turning its color. Allow to cool, add salt and grind to coarse powder.set aside. (This powder can be stored in a tight container for about a month).

2. Wash brinjals, slit them into 4 halves (make a plus shape) leaving the stems.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai and fry brinjals in low flame till brinjals turn soft. (cover with a lid and stir occassionally)

4. Set aside the brinjals once soft.

5. In the remaining oil, add urad dal, mustard seeds, jeera, dried red chillies (4), curry leaves, green chillies. fry for 2 mts in low flame.

6. Add onions, and fry till soft (for about 4 mts in low flame).

7. Add fried brinjals to onions, and cook for 3 mts in low flame.

8. Add roasted bengal gram powder, adjust salt and stir gently so that brinjals do not break. leave on low flame for 3 mts.

9. Serve hot with rice, sambhar/pappu charu or dal.