Brinjal Recipes Special:

Gutti Vankaya

, An Andhra-Style Stuffed Brinjal Curry

The freshest supply of brinjals, along with other monsoon vegetables, floods the market during the monsoons between June and September, and also during winter. So it’s hardly a surprise that brinjal recipes surge in popularity during this time, along with other monsoon food. Enter gutti vankaya, a spicy and creamy stuffed brinjal curry from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, made with small, tender eggplants filled with a roasted peanut, sesame, and coconut masala. The word ‘gutti’ means bunch or cluster, and ‘vankaya’ refers to the brinjal itself. Unlike simpler brinjal recipes, this one has an elaborate spice paste, typical of Andhra cuisine, with whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and clove roasted alongside the peanuts and sesame and blended with ginger, garlic, and onion into a thick, fragrant stuffing. The brinjal chosen is also deliberate, as the smaller ones are tender and yet can hold their shape and do not turn mushy after cooking, unlike the larger ones. So, while picking this monsoon vegetable, choose the purple ones with stripes. Cut each one in an X-shape without removing the stalk, then soak them in salted water to keep the flesh from discolouring while the masala paste cooks. For the right texture, you have to be generous with oil when it comes to this brinjal recipe, as it is the oil which tends to give this curry its creaminess and also tempers the spice level. Gutti vankaya is usually served with roti or chapati, though it tastes just as good with rice too.