Eggplant stir fry with spicy lentil powder

As a super picky kid Eggplant/brinjal was never my favourite vegetable. I’m certainly not sure when I became a hardcore fan of this gorgeous purple vegetable. Eggplant adds an original flavour to every dish it is in whether it is complementing a dip or taking centre stage in an entrée. Don’t underestimate this purple vegetable – it might just surprise you. Each and every method of eggplant preparation is unique in its own way with varied blend of spices that goes into it. Today I will be sharing a very simple recipe of Eggplant stir fry with spicy lentil powder or Vonkai podi kura as we call it at home.

The eggplant has a neutral flavour and hence helps to absorb any flavour extremely well. Its texture is so versatile from creamy to super crisp depending on how you cook it. The only drawback is its tendency to soak up oil when sautéed on its own. Sprinkling salt over eggplant pieces before cooking them draws out the vegetable’s moisture and absorbs less oil.

The benefit of shallow frying over high heat has 2 advantages, it ensures that the eggplant doesn’t absorb too much oil and also cooks it quickly to give a crisp on the outside and soft texture inside.

A lot being said about this versatile vegetable,…let me quickly walk you through this simple recipe.

Off to the recipe for Eggplant stir fry!!

Step-by-Step process in making Eggplant stir fry with spicy lentil powder :

• Wash eggplant and chop into small cubes. Soak them in a bowl of water with a teaspoon of salt added to it  doe about 10 minutes so as to reduce its bitterness.

• Get all your ingredients measured and ready for the powder before firing up the stovetop.

• Heat one teaspoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat and roast all the dry ingredients under the heading “For the powder” (excluding desiccated coconut). Turn off the heat once the spices turn slightly brown and get fragrant. Ensure not to burn them.

• Blend roasted spices to a coarse powder in a blender along with desiccated coconut and set aside.

• Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and season with mustard seeds. Once they splutter, drain eggplant pieces from water and add to it. Now add a little turmeric powder, increase the heat and stir occasionally without burning them.

• Continue to fry till the eggplant pieces turn golden brown. This may take around 10 min.

• Now add the ground powder, salt, few curry leaves and mix well.

• Stir for 5 minutes till the eggplant pieces are coated well with the powder. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving bowl.

• Serve with roti or hot steamed rice accompanied with sambar or rasam.

A Quick Summary:

Print Recipe

Eggplant stir fry with spicy lentil powder

Eggplant stir fry with spicy lentil powder is a recipe where eggplant pieces are shallow fried and finally spiced up with a spicy lentil powder.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course / Side dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 3 to 4

Author: Padma

Ingredients

• For the powder:
• 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons Bengal gram/Channa dal
• 1 Tablespoon Black gram/urad dal
• 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 Tablespoon desiccated coconut
• ½ a teaspoon whole black pepper
• 3 to 4 dry red chillies
• A sprig of curry leaves
• Other ingredients:
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• I eggplant 400grams, washed, chopped into small cubes and soaked in water with a teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes
• ½ a teaspoon turmeric powder
• Required salt
• Few curry leaves

Instructions

• Heat one teaspoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat and roast all the dry ingredients under the heading “For the powder” (excluding desiccated coconut) until the spices turn slightly brown and get fragrant.
• Blend roasted spices to a coarse powder along with desiccated coconut and set aside.
• Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and season with the muster seeds. Once they splutter, drain eggplant pieces from water and add to it. Add turmeric powder, increase heat and stir occasionally.
• Continue to fry till the eggplant pieces turn golden brown. This may take around 10 min.
• Now add the ground powder, salt , curry leaves and stir for 5 minutes till the eggplant pieces are coated well with the powder.
• Turn off the heat and serve with roti or hot steamed rice accompanied with sambar or rasam.

Notes

1. Eggplants tend to turn brown when exposed once they are cut. Adding them into water with a little salt will do the trick to prevent browning, reduce bitterness and they absorb less oil while frying.
2. Feel free to adjust spice levels with dry red chillies to suit your taste.
3. This lentil powder can be made and stored in an airtight jar for about 3 to 4 weeks. It can be used for making various vegetables fries or even as a stuffing for some vegetables.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Cheers!!

Padma.