Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Hyderabad-style baingan curry

Finally I have done it - started a recipe blog! Updates here might not be as frequent as those on my other blog. However, the recipes will be presented in the simplest way possible. Some of the recipes might be customised to meet my tastes. You can add or deduct ingredients as you feel like.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be an expert cook, but I love cooking. It gives me a lot of satisfaction, though I don’t do it as often as I should. Some of the recipes that I am planning to put up on this blog have been passed on since generations in our family, while some I have learnt from here and there. You might even know some of the recipes. Finally, I would like to add that the blogger does not accept responsiblity for any damage caused to any reader on account of the preparation and consumption of any recipe stated on this blog. :)

I begin with the recipe for Hyderabad-style Baingan curry. Here you go:

Ingredients: (for 2 people)

1) 10-12 small, green brinjals (called ‘Ravaiya’ in Gujarati)
2) A handful of raw groundnuts
3) 10-12 cloves garlic
4) A small lemon-sized ball of tamarind
5) Salt to taste
6) Turmeric powder - a pinch
7) Red chilli powder to taste
8 ) Jaggery to taste (optional)
10) 4-5 tablespoons oil
11) Mustard seeds
12) Hing (asafoetida) to taste


Method:



1) Soak the ball of tamarind in some water in a bowl. Keep aside.
2) Cut off the stems of the brinjals. Put 4 slits length-wise halfway through them. Keep aside.
3) Remove the skin from the garlic. Grind together the garlic cloves, salt and red chilli powder to taste, turmeric powder as well as the groundnuts to a coarse powder. Do not add water.
4) If necessary, more salt/red chilli powder can be added to the ground mixture at this stage. Stuff this powder into the brinjals and keep aside.



5) Extract the pulp from the tamarind and strain to remove impurities. Add a little more water if necessary. Keep this aside.
6) In the pressure cooker, heat the oil and add mustard seeds and hing. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter.
7) After the mustard seeds splutter, add the brinjals and stir a bit, ensuring that they do not break.
8 ) When the brinjals are half-cooked, add the tamarind pulp and cook for a while. If some of the stuffing is left over, it can be added at this stage.
9) Add crushed jaggery as per taste. Stir well, in such a way that the brinjals don’t break.
10) Close the cooker, adding more water if needed, put the weight on and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes.

Open the cooker when the steam escapes, and the curry is ready! Can be eaten with chappatis or rice.




PS: We call this Hyderabad-style Baingan curry at home because this recipe was taught to me by a Maami from Hyderabad. I don’t know the actual origin of the recipe.

8 comments:

Sathej said...

Wanted to have the privelege of the first comment:) Great blog...looking forward to more:)
Sathej

Priya Iyer said...

@sathej

danke! yep,more coming up, hopefully! :)

Me said...

sooper !

btw "Hyderabad-style baingan curry" is called Gutti Vankaya..

amma thaayae could you please remove the word verification...

Priya Iyer said...

danke! :)

gutti vankaya va? i c. never mind. what's in a name? taste should be good. :D

pls bear with the word verification...

Laksha said...

Surely looks delicious... Will try and let you know...

Priya Iyer said...

@brinda

danks! do let me know!:)

Anonymous said...

mmmmm.......looks delicious. Feeling hungry after reading the recepie. :D

Priya Iyer said...

@anon

welcome here! danks! :)