Ingredients
Eggplant/ baby brinjal (preferably all of the same size & small) – 350 g
Coriander seeds 3 tsp
Chenna dal 1½ tsp
Urad dal 1½ tsp
Whole red chillies 6
Asafoetida
Salt to taste
Coconut grated
Mustard seeds
Oil
Get Cooking!
1. Roast the dals, chillies and coriander seeds in a little oil till the dals turn red.
2. Roast the coconut grating till it turns red.
3. Grind the chillies, dals, coriander seeds with salt coarsely.
4. Add the roasted coconut grating and powder it.
5. Cut the stem off the brinjal.Slit the brinjal twice taking care not to cut it completely (it should kind of look like a flower)
6. Fill this with the powder that was ground.
7. In a kadai, heat 5 to 6 tsps of oil. Crackle mustard seeds in it.
8. Place the stuffed brinjal in it. Sprinkle some water if need be.
9. Close the kadai, and keep flipping the brinjals over often till they are cooked well.
10. Garnish with cilantro, serve with rice.
Tips
If the brinjals have a lot of seeds in them, instead of sprinkling water, sprinkle some tamarind water.
An alternative stuffing is using sambhar powder, salt, a little sugar, finely chopped onions.
I tried the above recipe by baking the brinjals at around 450 deg, after spraying the stuffed brinjals with cooking spray, till they were cooked well. Tasted pretty good 😉
Shakahari Saapadu 