I love the blend of tanginess, and flavors of Andhra food. Most of their dishes contain tamarind, fenugreek and a bit of jaggery which creates a wonderful flavor. I had read about this dish called Pappu Vankaya ( Eggplants cooked in lentil) a long while back but got down to making it today for lunch. It was simply awesome. The garlic and coriander leaves added in the end add a characteristic touch to it. Though the original recipe demands the use of Toor dal, I’ve added a mix of Toor and Chana dal for the same and the taste was just as good.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Toor dal
- 250 gm eggplants
- 2 green chilies
- 1 Onion
- 4-5 pods of garlic
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 small lemon sized ball of tamarind
- 1 handful of coriander leaves
- Salt
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp oil/ghee for tadka
- 1 string of curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
Method
- In a pressure cooker heat some oil, add mustard and cumin seeds
- Once it crackles, add chopped onion and green chilies
- Add chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, tamarind juice, chopped eggplants and toor dal
- Add salt and turmeric and pressure cook till all ingredients are well blended
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with hot rice
Preparation time: 20 minutes