Simple Stuffed Brinjal Curry/ Gutti Vankaya Curry/ Vazhuthananga Niracha Curry

I am a big fan of brinjal. Brinjal in any form(except raw) I would love to gobble up. But after marriage, intake of brinjal has come down as my husband doesn't love this veggie at all.. :(

So whenever I am in Kerala or when my parents or in- laws are visiting us, I would get a chance to eat this. As most of my life was spent in Andhra, I love the bhagare baingan/ gutti vankaya koora - a specialty of Hyderabad.

This curry is entirely different from bhagare baingan. This is a simple and easy-to-make recipe. This is a perfect finger licking dish that can be served along with rotis, naans, chapatis and rice. Try this out and you will love this for sure.

In this dish, the brinjals are stuffed with a simple masala, shallow fried and cooked and simmered in tamarind gravy. And here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1. Brinjal- 6-7 nos
2. Onions- 2 nos
3. Shallots- ½ cup
4. Green Chillies- 3 nos
5. Ginger and Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
6. Red Chilli Powder- 2 tbsp+ 1 tbsp
7. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
8. Coriander Powder- 3 tbsp
9. Garam Masala Powder- 1 tsp
10. Fenugreek Powder- 1 tsp
11. Tamarind- lemon size
12. Oil- 2 tbsp
13. Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
14. Cumin Seeds- 1 tsp
15. Fenugreek Seeds- 1 tsp
16. Curry Leaves- few
17. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind in a little warm water.
2. Slit each brinjals diagonally with the stalks intact. Mix 1 tbsp of red chilli powder and salt in a bowl using little amount of water. Stuff this mix in the slitted brinjals and keep this aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan, lightly fry these brinjals for about 10 minutes on medium flame and keep this on kitchen towel.
4. Chop the onions and shallots using a blender. In the same above oil splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds.
5. Add the chopped onions- shallots mixture and stir well till they turn translucent. Add the slited green chillies, curry leaves. After about 5- 10 minutes add the ginger and garlic paste.
6. As the raw smell disappears add the brinjals and lightly stir for about a minute. Now add the red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Add the tamarind water and add about a ½ Cup of water and let this boil for about 15- 20 minutes on low flame by closing with a lid.
7. At last add the fenugreek powder, stir and switch off the flame and serve along with piping hot rice and enjoy.

Mutton Palak/ Palak Gosht

During our stay all across Andhra, my mom has learnt a variety of Andhra recipes. Among those dishes, mutton palak is one of our favorite dishes.

Mutton is cooked till tender along with spinach. Spinach is a good source of calcium and iron and so when it is cooked along with mutton, it leaves an immense flavor which am sure that you will not say no to. Spinach and mutton is a yummy finger licking combination. Just try this out and you will gobble up the entire dish.

Ingredients:

1. Mutton- ½ kg
2. Palak/ Spinach- a bunch
3. Onions( Sliced)- 2 nos
4. Green Chillies (slitted)- 3 nos
5. Potato- 1 no ( cubed)
6. Ginger and Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
7. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
8. Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
9. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
10. Garam Masala Powder- 1 tsp
11. Salt- as required
12. Curry Leaves- few
13. Oil- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a cooker, add the sliced onions and fry till they turn translucent. Add the ginger and garlic paste and green chillies. Stir well till the raw smell disappears.
2. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Stir and add the mutton pieces with required amount of salt and curry leaves.
3. Stir in the chopped spinach. Mix. At last add the garam masala powder and required amount of water. Close the cooker and cook on medium flame till the mutton is well cooked.
4. Serve hot along with rice or roti.

Soya Chunks Biryani along with Yummy Frittata

As a kid, I used to eat these Chunks or meal maker, which I loved a lot. Soya chunks cutlet, pulav, korma or biryani…. whatever it is, I love it from my heart. Though it does not have any flavor, it has the tendency of absorbing any flavors you dunk them in. Many varieties of dishes can be prepared using these chunks.

Soya chunks are very good for health. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and they also help to reduce cholesterol. These are the best sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids. These are less in fat and may help reduce heart diseases.

I think these informations are enough to add soya protein in your daily diet. Todays post is about soya chunks biryani which is a very easy and tasty dish. This biryani goes well with raita, pickle, papad and so on but I made frittata which is another one pot meal. I didn't add many veggies. My frittata was a simple one.

Frittata is an Italian omelet, in which most of the veggies are added and then baked in the oven. As I was alone, I made my frittata with very less ingredients and enjoyed it with yummy biryani.

Ingredients:

1. Soya Chunks- 2 Cups
2. Basmati Rice- 2 cups
3. Onions- 2 nos
4. Tomatoes- 1 no
5. Ginger and garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
6. Green Chillies- 2 nos
7. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tsp
8. Coriander powder- 1 tsp
9. Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp
10. Coriander leaves( chopped)- a hand ful
11. Curd- ½ Cup
12. Cinnamon- 1 inch
13. Cloves- 4 nos
14. Cardamom- 3 nos
15. Oil- ½ tbsp
16. Ghee- ½ tbsp

Method:

1. Soak the chunks in boiled water for about 10 minutes then soak these in cold water. Squeeze and keep them aside.
2. Wash and drain the rice.
3. In a kadai, pour oil and ghee. Fry onions along with cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Once they turn translucent add ginger garlic paste and green chillies. Stir well.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir till they turn mushy. Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Mix well.
5. Pour the curd and coriander leaves. Mix and add the chunks. Stir well.
6. In this add the rice and enough water and close with a lid. Stir in between. When the water gets absorbed and rice gets cooked switch off the flame.
7. Serve along with raita. Here I like this with frittata.

Simple Frittata:

Ingredients:

1. Eggs- 2 nos
2. Mushrooms- ¼ Cup
3. Onions- 1 no
4. Tomato- 1 no
5. Green Chillies- 2 nos
6. Coriander Leaves- 2 tbsp
7. Cheese- 1 tbsp
8. Salt- as required
9. Oil- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Chop all the vegetables and stir fry a little in a pan using oil. Sprinkle some salt.
2. Whisk the eggs and add this on top of the stir fried vegetables and let it cook on slow flame. When one side is done add the grated cheese and flip and switch off the flame.
3. I didn't put this in oven, I simply cooked it on stove.
4. Enjoy an amazing rice and this frittata.