This week was super delicious. The breakfast, the lunch and dinner had a kind of super deliciousness. May be because kids are around asking for snacks at random hours, and the things got prepared for them with love. Or may be the thrill involved in making recipe video for each post had given that extra taste. May be, I don’t know. This badanekayi palya tells you all that. Purple shaded, round brinjals were turned in to spice loaded, colorful curry which was scrumptious to pair with chapati. Kids were asking for second serving though they hate brinjals. So this tells it all. Isn’t it?
Ok, let’s get in to the recipe. The brinjal, eggplant or aubergine is called as “BADANEKAYI” in Kannada and it’s the most perfect pair with jolada rotti (jowar pancake). And so, this veggie is cooked in many forms to accompany that pancake. Remember stuffed brinjal? Those who don’t like the veggie also fall in love with it when paired with chapati or rotti. That is the unique-ness of brinjal.
Badanekayi palya, as cooked in the kitchen with generous oil wafted a cozy aroma all around. The cubes of brinjal sauteed in normal temper along with onion and got cooked just in 10 minutes. They were soft and looked glossy after cooking. It’s the roasted peanuts and coconut that gave nice thick consistency to the curry. The green chillies, cumin and garlic when minced infuse authentic North Karnataka flavors. And I loved the color, richness and spice balanced taste. I am looking forward to recreate the magic again, hopefully this weekend. And how about you?
Watch the video:
Badanekayi Palya in North Karnataka Style
Ingredients
- Brinjal badanekayi- 8-10 nos.
- Onion big sized- 1 nos.
- Tamarind - lemon sized
- Jaggery - 1/4 tsp
- Red chilly powder- 1 tsp
To temper
- Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
- Split black gram lentils - 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves - Few
To grind
- Peanuts- 1/4 cup
- Fresh coconut- 1/2 cup
- Green chillies - 3 nos.
- Garlic- 8 to 10 cloves
- Onion big sized- 1 nos.
- Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- Coriander leaves - handful
- Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Instructions
Preparation
- Peel off the onion and chop it in to small bite sized pieces. Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup of water for 15 minutes.
- Rinse the brinjals thouroughly in water and chop it in to cubes. Keep them immersed in water.
Method
- Heat a pan adding oil, mustard, lentils and curry leaves. As the mustard seeds splutter, add chopped onion. Saute the onions till they turn translucent. Then include brinjal cubes draining all water. Add little salt and keep it covered. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile roast the peanuts in medium flame and cool it down. Peel off the skin and take it in a mixer jar.
- Add coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, garlic cloves, chopped onion, turmeric powder and coriander leaves.
- Grind all these ingredients together along with some water.
- By now, the brinjals would have cooked soft. Keep stirring in between for even cooking. Next, add ground masala from above step. Mix well.
- Add salt, red chilly powder, tamarind water and jaggery. Adjust consistency by adding water and bring it to boil.
- Very tasty badanekayi palya in North Karnataka style is ready. Serve it with chapati and rotti.
Notes
- Keeping the brinjal cubes immersed in water helps to reduce it's pungent taste.
- The brinjal cubes should get cooked in oil. Do not add water at this stage. Keep stirring for even cooking.
- As green chilly and red chilly powder both are used in this recipe, adjust spice as per your taste buds.
- Garlic, cumin and green chilly together infuse a unique North Karnataka taste. So do not skip.
