Stuffed Brinjal -- Ennegai

Stuffed Brinjal is cooked all over India in very different ways. The one that is explained in this post, is a very popular recipe in the Northern Karnataka region. It’s known as “Ennegai” in Kannada. To prepare this curry it requires lot of effort and immense patience but mind you all this effort is absolutely worth it.

Ingredients:

1. Small brinjals- 6
2. Oil- 2 tblsp
3. Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
4. Coriander chopped- a handful

     For Stuffing:

1. Onions- 1 ½ medium sized
2. Curry leaves chopped- 2
3. Freshly Grated Coconut- ½ cup
4. Groundnut powder- ½ cup
5. Ginger & garlic paste- 1 tsp
6. Tamarind paste- 1 tsp
7. Jaggery-  2 tsp
8. Masala powder-2 tsp (You can use any masala powder like garam masala or kitchen King if you don’t have a homemade one)
9. Chili powder-1tsp
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients mentioned above and keep the mixture ready
2. Chop out the stem and slice the brinjals in to quarters from stem to base without cutting the complete base (as it helps to hold the mixture). It should look like four petals. And place them in water
3. Take out the brinjals from water and stuff the mixture as much as possible in the slits of brinjals. The mixture remaining can be used as curry while cooking
4. Heat oil in frying pan and add mustard seeds.
5. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add the mixture remaining after stuffing. Sauté a little and close the lid
6. Let it cook for around 10 min and then add little water
7. Then place the stuffed brinjals into it. Cover the lid and let it cook on a medium flame.
8. Keep flipping sides of brinjals until they are completely cooked
9. The whole mixture slowly changes the color to golden brown.  That is the indication for the completion
10. Garnish with coriander leaves

Things to remember:

1. When cooking for your family, make sure that the brinjals you pick are smaller. It adds to the look of the dish; as the saying goes “One eats with all his senses”.
2. Make sure that the brinjals are cooked on medium flame until the raw smell of the curry goes and the color turns to golden brown

The best combination:

It’s best served with chapati or jawar roti with butter