Andhra Pradesh in India has a wide spread of eggplant recipes. Today’s recipe is inspired by Andhra cuisine, a delicate and tasteful gravy with the goodness of eggplant. I find baby eggplant tastier than regular eggplant, so you will find my recipes use only the baby variety. That said, this curry has the wonderful subtle flavour of poppy and sesame seeds. That alone is going to set your taste buds on a happy trip!

Time: 

• Prep time – 10 minutes
• Cook time – 40 minutes

Ingredients: 

• Baby Brinjal – 8
  • Cut off the stem. Then, cut each into quarters but have the base intact
• Large Red Onion (Cut in half and then sliced) – 1
• Indian Green Chilli (Slit) – 2
• Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/3 tsp
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – 3/4 tsp
• Coriander Powder – 1.25 tsp
• Cumin Powder – 1/4 tsp
• White Sesame Seeds – 2 tbsp
• Poppy Seeds – 1 tbsp
• Methi Leaves – 1 tbsp
• Curry Leaves – 10
• Vegetable Oil – 3 tbsp

Method:

1. In a deep dish pan, heat 1/2 tbsp of oil. Fry the brinjals until they have brown circles on the skin. Set aside
2. Now add 1 tbsp of oil and sliced onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions are golden brown
3. Meanwhile, in a separate lightly heated pan, toast the sesame seeds and poppy seeds till they become hot. Make sure not to burn them
4.  Blend 2 tbsp of water, the onion + green chilli mixture, and poppy + sesame seed mixture until you get a paste. Set aside for Step 6
5. In a deep dish pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the cumin seeds, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2 minutes
6. Add the blended ingredients and saute for 2 minutes
7. Add the masalas; methi leaves and salt. Add 2.5 cups of water and let the mixture come to a boil
8. Add the sauteed brinjal. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low flame
9. After 10 minutes, give it a good mix, and add extra water if required. Then cover and cook for 20 minutes. Ensure to check the brinjal in between to prevent it from burning. If your brinjal is quite ripe, you can reduce the cooking time
10. Serve warm with chappati 🙂