This recipe for Spicy Gutti Vankaya – Stuffed Brinjal Fry is from my good friend and neighbor Manasa. She always keeps sending little dabbas of great food during lunch time. Her food is spicy and super tasty. We became such good friends because of those little dabbas of love. I have never come across someone who is so caring. What a lovely person she is. When I first tasted these stuffed brinjals, I wiped the dabba clean. Din’t share it with anyone. I am mean. Sorry. Please don’t judge me. It was that good. This recipe is very easy and comes out really good. So make this at your home and share a small dabba with your neighbor.
This is how to do Spicy Gutti Vankaya – Stuffed Brinjal Fry.
First clean and wash the brinjals. Make sure you choose small ones of roughly the same size so they cook quickly and evenly. Cut the tops. Generally for any stuffed brinjal recipe, the stems are held intact and the stuffing is done from the bottom. But Manasa cuts the top off and stuffs it from the top. I thought this way of cutting was genius. It did not break down during cooking. It held all the masalas intact. It did not separate while cooking. So cut the top off y’all.
Cut a cross till 3/4 th of the brinjal’s bottom like the picture below.
Masala time…… Mix together besan (chickpea flour), cumin seeds, red chilli powder, hing (asafoetida) and salt. Set aside.
Take a spoon and fill the cross in the brinjal with the masala powder. After filling just press in between your fingers to make sure the masalas adhere well to the brinjal.
Make sure all the brinjals are nicely stuffed with the masala.
Heat oil in a pan on low flame. LOW flame remember. You will need a flat pan so the brinjals cook evenly. Place the stuffed brinjals and cover it with a lid.
Manasa does something unique. She pours little water on the lid. She says it helps from burning the brinjals. So you also do it. Just pour some water on the lid and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
Turn the brinjals every 3-4 minutes so it cooks evenly all around. Once the brinjals are cooked, switch off the flame and let it rest for 10 minutes with a covered lid.
Remove the brinjals from the pan and serve hot with rice and ghee.
Never have had leftovers !!!!!!
- 8-10 small brinjals
- ¼ cup besan – chickpea flour
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon hing – asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- First clean and wash the brinjals. Make sure you choose small ones of roughly the same size so they cook quickly and evenly. Cut the tops. Cut a cross till ¾ th of the brinjal’s bottom.
- Mix together besan (chickpea flour), cumin seeds, red chilli powder, hing (asafoetida) and salt. Set aside.
- Take a spoon and fill the cross in the brinjal with the masala powder. After filling just press in between your fingers to make sure the masalas adhere well to the brinjal.
- Heat oil in a pan on low flame. You will need a flat pan so the brinjals cook evenly. Place the stuffed brinjals and cover it with a lid.
- Just pour some water on the lid and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.Turn the brinjals every 3-4 minutes so it cooks evenly all around. Once the brinjals are cooked, switch off the flame and let it rest for 10 minutes with a covered lid.
- Remove the brinjals from the pan and serve hot with rice and ghee.