Kothimeera Vankaya/Coriander Stuffed Brinjal

This is typically an Andhra recipe. Of course Amma makes the tastiest kotmeera vankaya. This is our first recipe with the small round brinjals. Can’t say more, as kotmeera vankaya speaks for itself.

Serves 2

Preparation time 20-30 mins

Ingredients:

Small round brinjals (gundu vankaya/badnekay/chote baingan) 5-6
Fresh Corainder (kotmeera/dhania) 1 bunch(10 strands)
Green chillies 2
Refined cooking oil 4-6tsp
Cumin seeds(jeera) 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Pinch of tamarind (chintapandu)
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the brinjals. Chop the stems. Make a plus shaped cut on the bottom of the brinjals. Please look into the brinjal and throw off any spoilt ones. Keep the cut brinjals in water or they turn black.

Grind into a fine paste washed and chopped coriander, 2 greenchillies, a tsp of cumin seeds, a pinch of tamarind and a pinch of salt. Keep aside.

There are three ways in which kotmeera vankaya is made. Depending on the preferences, either method can be used.

Method 1:

In a pan/kadai(bandli/mookudu), add 5 tsps of oil. Add a tsp of mustard seeds and the wiped brinjals (as water in oil will mean oil splutters all over).Add a pinch of salt (keeping in mind the salt already added to the coriander mix).

Keep tossing and allow the brinjals to cook till they change color and turn soft. This may take around 7-10 mins on simmer.

Add the Coriander paste and mix well. Leave for 5 mins to cook on simmer.

Method 2:

Shallow fry the brinjals in oil and keep aside.

In a pan/kadai(bandli/mookudu) add 2 tsps oil and the mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.

Add the fried brinjals and the coriander paste and allow to cook for 5 mins on simmer.

Method 3:

Stuff the coriander paste into the brinjals. Keep aside.

Either use method 1 or method 2 to cook. Add the remaining paste and allow to cook for 5 mins. Kotmeera vankaya is done.

Kotmeera vankaya made in any of the three ways above will taste the same and thus awesome.

Kotmeera vankaya is a semi gravy green dish and can go well with any of the Indian bread of flavoured rice. The Andhra way of having it is however mixing the curry with plain hot rice and a tsp of ghee. We cherish even having just kotmeera vankaya.