Swetha's Fusion

Badanekayi ennegayi / Brinjal curry / Eggplant curry - Karnataka Style

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Badanekayi ennegayi is my mom's recipe. Usually she prepared it have with Akkiroti(Rice flour roti) or Ubbu Roti for breakfast or even meals. Goes well with wheat roti and chapati too.

Ingredients:

5 - 6 small tender purple brinjals / eggplants
1 big onion (optional)
2 tsp jaggery
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
4 - 5 curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
4 tbsp cooking oil (6 tbsp if not using nonstick pan)
Salt as per your taste
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
For Masala:

2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
3 - 6 red chillies
4-5 - garlic cloves
1 pc - cinnamon
3 - cloves
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
2 tsp ground nuts or peanuts (optional)
1 gooseberry sized tamarind / 2 tsp tamarind paste

Method:

Wash and slit half way through the eggplants in '+' sign, as shown the picture below.
Now immerse the slit eggplants in water and keep it aside.

Meanwhile start roasting the ingredients for Masala. Take a frying pan and dry roast starting with sesame seeds and then peanuts (if using), remove and keep aside.
Next in the same pan dry roast rest of the ingredients listed (except tamarind) adding grated coconut at the end.
Transfer all the roasted ingredients and tamarind paste into a blender. By adding required water, grind it into a thick smooth paste. Keep it aside.
In a thick bottom kadai/pan, take 4 tbsp of oil and heat it. Add in mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutters, add curry leaves, garlic, and chopped onions.
Fry the onions until soft.
Drain eggplants and add to the kadai.
Add the ground Masala to the kadai. Stir. Make sure the masala get into the eggplant's slits.
Mix in turmeric powder salt and jaggery.