Yenngai Badnekai

Yenngai badnekai  is an amazing delicacy of North Karnataka which is often savoured with akki rotti, Jolada rotti or even chapati for that matter. It is often called as Enngai or stuffed eggplant. It is simple to make but yummy to taste :)


Ingredients:

Yenngai 

8-10 purple brinjals (small)
3 onions
1 cup grated coconut
Curry leaves
Coriander
Jaggery
Salt
Tamarind
1 pinch of hing
Oil
1 tea spoon Mustard seeds

For Masala:


6-8 dried red chillies

2 tea spoons coriander seeds (dhaniya)

6 cloves (lavanga)

2 tea spoons jeera

2 inch cinnamon stick

1 table spoon ground nut

Procedure:


Fry the spices listed under the "Masala" section.  Along with 2 medium sized onions, salt, jaggery, tamarind (according to taste), grind the spices by adding some water to make a paste. Let the paste be a little coarse and do not make it into a fine paste.
Wash and dry the brinjals. Slit them vertically into 4 portions . Retain the brinjal as a whole along with the stalk and don't make them into 4 separate pieces. Now, stuff these brinjals with the grounded masala paste and keep it aside.
To a frying pan, heat about 4-5 table spoons of oil. Add 1 tea spoon of mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Now add a pinch of hing. Add curry leaves and saute it . To this add 1 finely chopped onion and saute it till it becomes a little transparent. Now slowly place the stuffed brinjals in this pan and allow it to cook in the steam by covering the frying pan with a lid.
After about 4 mins, open the lid of the pan and add the remaining masala to it. Gently mix the gravy and the brinjals. Care should be taken so that the eggplants dont get mashed. Cover the pan with the lid again and allow it to cook for another 4-5 mins. Occasionally check by stirring so that you avoid the gravy and the brinjals from getting burnt.

The Yenngai badnekai/stuffed brinjals are ready now. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve it with akki rotti/ jolada rotti or chapati.