Peanut chutney stuffed baby brinjals
Ingredients:
8 - small brinjals (golf-ball size)
2 - handfuls peanuts (without the skin)
1 cup - dessicated coconut
2 - green chillies
1/2 tbsp - pepper corns
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
2 - chopped large onion
1/4-1/2 cup - curry leaves
Cooking oil
2 - ripe medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp - cumin powder
1 tbsp - coriander powder
1 tsp - sugar
Method
- Run a knife into the bulb of each brinjal 3/4th way in towards the stem (not fully), the repeat perpendicular to this cut (cross cut). Repeat for all brinjals & place in a bowl of water with a pinch of turmeric powder & 1/2 tsp salt added to it.
- Lightly roast peanuts, coconut & 1/2 the finely chopped onion and put these along with the chillies, cumin pwd, pepper corns, turmeric pwd, sugar, coriander pwd & 1/2 tsp salt.
- Coarsely grind (not a very smooth paste), pulsating only, till almost evenly coarse. Taste & add more salt if required.
- Heat 4 tbsp oil in a non-stick kadai/ sauce pan, fry tomatoes till soft & then add this masala/ mixture & fry well for 5-6 minutes. Remove half of this mixture & stiff the brinjals with it.
- In the pan with the remaining masala, add 1/2 cup (or 1-2 cups if you want more gravy) water, stir well & place the brinjals in it (stem above the gravy, bulbs immersed well into the gravy) & simmer covered for 5 minutes or till brinjals are cooked.
- Serve with piping hot rotis/naan
