Gutti Vankaya Pulusu/Stuffed Baby Brinjals in Tamarind Gravy

Make a fine paste of onions, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, coriander powder, cumin powder, garlic cloves and dry coconut powder.

Wash and pat dry brinjals (keep the stems intact). Make a cross on the brinjals (by slitting the birnjals from bottom until the base, the stem part).

Now take each of the brinjal and stuff along the slit with the above ground paste. Using your fingers gently push the masala inside. Repeat the process until you complete stuffing all the brinjals.

Now in a heavy bottom cooking vessel add oil and add stuffed brinjals one by one. Cook covered for 2 minutes. Take off the lid and gently turn on the brinjals. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Pinch with your finger or poke knife to check whether the brinjals turned soft. When they turned soft add in the remaining ground masala, which we used in stuffing and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Now add ½ cup of water and cook covered for

Now add tamarind paste along with 1½ cups of water. Adjust salt and cook on low flame by giving the gravy a gentle stir. Cook till raw smell of tamarind disappears and gravy starts to thicken.

Add chopped coriander and turn off the flame. Serve with hot rice or it even tastes good with phulkas.