Gutthi Vankaya Koora

Our family (specifically my Dad's) is from the Ananthapur district of the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. It is the part of the region that borders the neighbouring state Karnataka and the region that is predominantly influenced by Bangalore and its culture. A lot of similarities can be found in the cuisine of Rayalaseema and the cuisine of Southern Karnataka.
Gutthi Vankaya Koora is a traditional Andhra dish. Be it Rayalaseema, Telangana or Kosta.. this dish is made all over. Except there are several variations to this! I myself make a couple of variations of this delicious dish. In Bangalore, this dish is known as "Badnekai Yengai" which translates to "Nooni Vankaya" .. the other Rayalaseema name for Gutthi Vankaya. Its amazing how regional proximity can influence everything from culture to food!
Well anyway, what more fitting than posting about the most celebrated dish in Andhra cuisine? And i know, that there are tons of recipes for gutthi vankaya out there on the web. But hey, add one more to the list :-) Besides this is my grandma's traditional recipe and believe me, it is out of this world!
I have a small story to share on this note.... when i was due with my first one, the afternoon before I had her, i ate rice with Gutthi Vankaya koora. My dad made the koora that day and boy was it spicy! It was spicy but yet delicious and I can remember slurping it off with my ears and nose turning red! Anyway, later that day my labor pains started and i kept thinking that it was constipation (thanks to the spicy vankaya koora ... :-) blush blush! ) Anyways, as the pains got worse, i knew that it was not the koora but something else!
I then had my baby the next day at 12:30 in the afternoon!

Now for my grandma's recipe:



You will need:
6 small eggplants (brinjals, aka Vankaya)
1 medium sized Onion - Chopped fine
1 Ripe Tomato - Chopped fine
Salt to taste
Seasoning ingredients
3 tbsp Oil

For the stuffing:
1 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tbsp Gasalu (Khus Khus or poppy seeds, soak in some water for about 10 minutes)
3 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Dhaniya powder (Coriander powder)
2 pieces Dal chini or Cinnamon
4 pieces Cloves
2 cloves Garlic
1/4 piece Onion - chopped roughly
2 tbsp Sesame seeds
a few sprigs curry leaves
2 small Tomatoes - chopped roughly
salt to taste

Method:
1. Dry roast the sesame seeds, cinnamon and cloves. Combine with the rest fo the masala ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.
2. Wash and chop the eggplants in the center both ways. Make sure the eggplant is still whole and not chopped fully. There should be two slits in the middle.
3. Stuff the ground masala into the eggplants gently ensuring that they dont break. Keep aside.
4. In a pan, heat the oil. Season with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Then add the chopped onions and saute until onions are golden brown. Then gently place each stuffed eggplant in the pan. Pour the remaining masala over the eggplants. Pour about 3/4 cup of water. Gently mix. Use a spatula to gently lift the whole eggplants while mixing. Make sure they dont break.
5. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add more salt if needed.
6. Then add the chopped tomatoes and mix gently. Cover with a lid again and cook until the gravy thickens. Add a little more water if needed.
7. Cook until oil leaves the sides.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Rice or Chapathi.

This is one of my contributions to RCI- Andhra cuisine. Hope you guys enjoyed the little story and the recipe.

Also, see Indira's wonderful post on Gutthi Vankaya Koora. Her pictures describe the process just right! I tried her Stuffed Poluru Vankaya Koora recipe sometime back and it was excellent! Cannot go wrong with that one... I used the last stuffing in her list!

Reminder:
Tommorrow - May 25th is the last day to get your entires in for the RCI- Andhra Cuisine event. Thank you all for participating.