Gutti Vankaya Kura (Andhra Stuffed Eggplant)

Gutti vankaya – 'stuffed brinjal' – is a must at Andhra weddings. Small purple eggplants are filled with a nutty masala of roasted peanuts, sesame, coconut, chilli and spices and slowly cooked until they collapse into a rich, thick curry.

Video by Vismai Food on YouTube. Our recipe below is our own home-style version, written in our own words – quantities and steps may differ from the video.

• Serves 4
• Prep 25 min
• Cook 30 min
• Vegan · gluten-free · Spicy
• Famous in Andhra Pradesh

Ingredients

• 500 g small round eggplants (8–10)
• For the stuffing: 3 tbsp peanuts, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tbsp desiccated coconut, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp cumin, 4 dried red chillies – dry-roasted; plus 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp tamarind paste, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp jaggery
• 4 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 onion, finely chopped

Method

1. Grind the roasted stuffing ingredients with garlic, tamarind, turmeric, salt and jaggery to a coarse paste with a little water.
2. Slit each eggplant into four from the bottom, keeping the stem end intact, and fill with the paste.
3. Heat the oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, then the onion and fry until golden.
4. Add the eggplants and any leftover paste with 150 ml water, cover and cook on low heat for 20–25 minutes, turning carefully, until very soft.
5. Serve with rice or chapati.

Tip: Keep the eggplants in salted water after cutting so they don't darken.

Shop the ingredients

Everything you need for this recipe is in stock at Farmah’s – order online or pick it up at Annenstraße 41, Graz.