Gutti Vankaya Kura | Gutti Vankaya Curry

preparing tamarind pulp

1. First soak 1/2 tbsp tamarind in 1/4 cup warm or hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Then squeeze and extract the soaked tamarind into the water. Keep the tamarind pulp aside.

roasting peanuts, spices and coconut

1. Heat a small frying pan. Add 1/4 cup peanuts and roast them on a low to medium flame, with frequent stirrings.
2. The peanuts have to be roasted well and should not have even a slight rawness in them. Remove the peanuts and keep aside.
3. To the same pan, add 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp methi seeds. Skip methi seeds if you do not have them.
4. Roast these seeds too till they become fragrant. Take care not to over roast or burn them. Remove and keep aside.
5. In the same pan, now add 2 tbsp desiccated coconut. You can also use fresh coconut instead of desiccated coconut.
6. Stir continuously and roast the coconut till light golden. Remove and keep aside.
7. Add 3 to 4 dry red chilies.
8. Roast the chilies till the red color changes a shade. You should also get the aroma while roasting them. Once they become aromatic and the color changes, remove and keep aside.

grinding masala for gutti vankaya

1. Once cooled, break the red chilies in small pieces and remove the seeds.
2. Now let the spices cool and then take all of them in a grinder jar.
3. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
4. Now add the tamarind pulp and 3 to 4 tbsp water.
5. Grind everything to a smooth thick masala. Do grind to a thick paste, otherwise stuffing the brinjals will not be easy.

prepping brinjals to make gutti vankaya kura

1. Now rinse and slit each brinjal from the base, keeping the stalks. Soak the brinjals in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Then drain and keep aside. To make the brinjals stand while cooking, just thinly slice a small part from the base.
3. Later stuff each brinjal very well with the masala paste. Keep aside. Some masala paste will remain. So keep this aside too.

making gutti vankaya kura

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.
2. Then add 1/2 tsp urad dal and 1/2 tsp cumin seeds.
3. Saute till the urad dal turns a maroonish red.
4. Then add 1/2 cup finely chopped onion and 1 sprig of curry leaves.
5. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
6. Now add 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste.
7. Add the remaining masala paste along with 2/3 cup water. mix very well.
8. Now place the stuffed brinjals gently in the cooker.
9. Sprinkle salt as per taste.
10. Cover and pressure cook gutti vankaya curry for 5 to 6 minutes. 
11. When the pressure settles down, open the lid. Check the doneness by sliding a knife through a brinjal. If the knife slids easily, then the brinjals are cooked. 
12. If they are not cooked, then add 2 to 3 tbsp water and pressure cook gutti vankaya for 2 to 3 minutes more or till done.
13. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve gutti vankaya kura with chapatis or steamed rice.
14. This curry also goes very well with jowar roti or bajra roti.