Vankaya Vepudu

Ingredients:

1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash and cube and place in salted water

1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste

big pinch turmeric pwd

1/2 tsp chilli pwd

1/2 tsp coriander pwd

pinch methi pwd (dry roast and make a fine pwd)

1 1/4 tbsps oil

salt to taste

For poppu/tadka/seasoning:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

pinch of cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida

6-7 curry leaves

1 Heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves and toss about for 8-10 seconds. Add asafoetida and saute for a few secs.
2 Add the cubed brinjals and stir fry for 5 mts without lid on medium high. Constantly stir fry to ensure they don’t burn or stick to the pan. Add ginger-green chilli paste, salt and turmeric pwd and combine. Cook for 2 mts.
2 Add coriander pwd, methi pwd and red chilli pwd and combine. Cook with lid on low to medium flame for 18-20 mts or till the brinjals are well roasted and turn soft. Remove lid and cook on high, tossing constantly, for 4 mts.
4 Serve with hot rice or rotis.