Ingredients:
Tender small brinjals -20 no
Salt to taste
For stuffing powder
Coriander seeds – 1/4 cup
Bengal gram / Chenna dal – 6tbsp
Urad dal – 4 tsp.
Black Pepper -1 tsps
Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
Dry Coconut –1/2 cup
Red Chillies- 20 no (according to spice level)
Salt – to taste
Oil 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – a few
Asafetida – ¼ tsp
Seasonings:
Oil – 4 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 stem
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Preparation:
- Wash and dry the brinjals. Keep aside. Prepare the stuffing first.
- Roast all stuffing ingredients in oil. Grind them coarsely in a mixer. Now stuffing powder is ready.
- Cut the brinjals into 4 pieces (not fully-leave little stem part.)
- Simply stuff the slit brinjals with spice powders.
- Arrange them in a microwave steamer and steam for about 6 minutes.
- Remove it from microwave and. Keep aside.
- Heat the oil in a cast iron pan, fry all seasonings.
- Place the stuffed eggplants and cover the pan with a tight lid. Sprinkle salt.
- Cover and cook the eggplants in a low flame for about 10 – 15minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the lid . Again cook it for 5 more minutes.
- Throughout the15 mins, turn the eggplants every 3 or 4 minutes so all the sides get evenly cooked.
- Do this carefully without breaking the brinjals.
- When the brinjals are well cooked and soft to touch. Switch off the stove.
- Garnish with chopped curry leaves.
- Serve hot with rice, Sathuamuthu, Kozhambu.
Tip:
- Use low to medium heat; not high. High heat spoils the taste.
- You can store the left over stuffing powder in an air tight container for future use.
Thanks to sadhanakitchen for the recipe
