Hyderabadi Bhagara Baingan

The first recipe I could think of when Andhra cuisine was anounced was the various chutneys and pickles. Even other south Indian do make pickles like me too being a south indian but with Andhra it is very unique. Due to the introduction of the blogosphere  I came to be aware of various cuisines andhra is one such which i was highly influenced by various blogs. Now I regularly make patoli/kura, gongura chutney, even pulusu which is similar to our majjige hulli. 

Coming to the recipe, this is a very delicious hyderabadi baingan masala….basically I was out of ideas of what to prepare when RCI for andhra was anounced. Checking the Tarla Dalal recipe book, I got hold of this recipe. I never tried this until today as I was happy with what I prepared for baingan masala which can be found here. The masala turned very delicious though I did not get the right color. You can make the masala gravy more thin, I wanted it to go along with parotas so I made the gravy a little thick.

This is my entry for Lakshmi’s RCI hosted by Latha from Masala Magic

All you need: Brinjals small purple - 15 slit with a plus with the stalks intact

for masala: sesame seeds - 2 tbsp, groundnuts - 2 tbsp, coriander powder - 1 tbsp, jeera powder - 1 tsp, chilli powder - 2-4 tsp, turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp, onions - 1/2 cup, garlic - chopped, ginger - chopped along with grated coconut - 1/2 cup, tamarind - 1 tsp, salt to taste.

tempering:  mustard seeds - 2 tsp, methi seeds - 1/2 tsp, curry leaves - 10, 2 green chillies slit, oil for frying.

method: Fry the ingredients for masala leaving the tamarind paste and salt until nice and fragrant. I opted to fry the groundnuts first until half done. Add sesame seeds fry for another few secs add the remaining ingredients along with grated coconut and fry. Let it cool for few minutes now make a paste with a little water along with tamarind paste and salt. I added a little jaggery  also as I cannot think of cooking without it .This is optional .

Take a kadai/ pressure pan. heat oil add the tempering ingredients and fry brinjals for a few minutes until the skin becomes fried. yumm.. this smell spreads the whole house and you are opt to find all of them go hungry…….. Once fried remove the brinjals keep aside. In the same oil fry the masala paste until oil leaves the side( mine did not leave any oil may be less oil) i fried until fragrant. Now add the baingans and potato(for my daughter) mix well add a cup of water. The consistency should be like little thick sambhar. Check for salt now if you are patient enough you can steam and stir now and then until the baingans are soft. u..gh i am not, so i steam in my prestige handi for one whistle. There you are the delicious Baingan masala, the brinjals remain firm and stalk intact. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice/chapati/parotas.

 

Badnekayi Mullgai Palya/Bagara Baingan

This is one of the famous Eggplant Curry served with jowar Roti in north karnataka.  There are different ways of cooking this dish with different masala.  This is one masala which is liked by my family. Whenever we visit India, we try to eat atleast once at the kamats Yatri nivas where they serve hot jawar roti with baingan masala which is well known as Bakri oota.

Masala

peanuts - 1 cup

seseme seeds - 1/2 cup

grated coconut - 1/2 cup

red chilli - 8-10

coriander seeds - 2 tsp

jeera - 1 tsp

hing - a pinch

jaggery to taste

salt to taste

cloves - 4

cinamon - 1 inch stick

tamarind -  lemon sized ball

Fry all the above and grind to a thick paste

onions - 1 big

sambhar onions/madras onions - a bunch full

small brinjals - 10 numbers

2 sprig of curry leaves

coriander leaves

Slit the Brinjals into plus by keeping the bottom together.  Put one spoon of masala to the each slit.  Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add mustard seeds hing, add curry leaves once the seeds splutter. Fry cut onions until light brown, add sambhar onions and brinjals. Add all the remaining masalas on top.  Make sure there is some liquid for the steam to form in order to cook the brinjals.  This is a little tricky, allow the mixture to boil and close the pressure pans top. Cook for 1 whistle and sim the fire for 5 minutes.   Take of fire let the pressure cool for 10 minutes, Serve with phulkas or rice.