Recipe- Andhra Style Stuffed Baby Eggplant Curry

Small tender egg plants are stuffed with ground masala and cooked to tender in the instant pot. This is a easy version of the popular gravy dish from Andhra called Gutti Vankaya Kura. This Instant Pot stuffed baby eggplant curry is vegan, gluten free and soy free too.Eggplants are also called brinjal In India. In North India they are called as baingan and in Andhra we call it Vankaya.

Ingredients

6 baby eggplants
one medium onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
¼ tsp mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 to 2 tbsps tamarind juice
½ tsp sugar
2 tbsps oil
salt to taste
coriander laves for garnish
1.5 cups of water

For the Masala Paste

¼ cup roasted peanuts, skin removed
2 tbsps desiccated coconut
2 tsps roasted sesame seeds
1 inch ginger piece
3 cloves of garlic
½ to 1 tsp red chili powder, adjust to taste
1 to 1.5 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup of water

Method

For the Masala Paste

- I usually have roasted peanuts and toasted sesame in my pantry. If you dont have them dry roast the peanuts and sesame seeds separately and let it cool. Remove the skin of the peanuts.

- Transfer the peanuts, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, ginger, garlic, red chilly powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and half tea spoon of salt to a grinder jar.Add a cup of water and make smooth masala paste.

Stuffing the eggplant with the masala

- Wash the baby eggplant and slit by making a deep plus cut, making sure you do not cut the eggplant to half.

- Carefully stuff the eggplants with masala paste and set a side. We will have plenty of masala paste left, which will be using to make the gravy.

Cooking the baby eggplant curry in the Instant Pot –

- Turn on the instant pot on saute mode and add two table spoons of oil. When the oil gets hot, add quarter teaspoon of mustard seeds. Let them pop and then add half teaspoon of cumin seeds.

- Once the cumin sizzles, add the chopped onion and curry leaves cook for three minutes till onion gets soft. If the pot is browning while cooking onions, add splashes of water to avoid burning.

- Add turmeric and the chopped tomato and cook for a minute.

- Now add the left over masala paste to the onion tomato mixture. Add some water in the grinder jar to get every bit of the masala paste out and add that to the instant pot.

- Cook the masala for two to three minutes and add the tamarind water. Give a mix.

- Cancel the saute mode and add salt and 1.5 cups of water and deglaze the pot. It is very important that we deglaze properly to avoid BURN sign. Add the stuffed eggplants, give a mix and pour some gravy on top of the egg plants and close the lid.

- Press the manual or pressure cooker mode and adjust the time to 4 minutes on low pressure. I used small eggplants, if your eggplants are bigger you may want to increase another minute or two of cooking time.

- Once the time is up, release pressure after seven to eight minutes.

- If needed adjust the consistency of the gravy by cooking for couple of minutes in the saute mode.

- Remember that the gravy thickens when it cools. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy this stuffed eggplant curry with rice or roti.

Stove Top Method-

- Use a deep vessel to make the curry on the stove top.

- Follow the exact same procedure as instant pot, but after adding the egg plant stir often to avoid burning and to ensure the eggplant cooks evenly.

- It can take upto 20 minutes for the eggplant to cook.

Pressure Cooker Method-

- Follow the exact same procedure as instant pot and cook on medium flame for three whistles.

- Let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid.