Andhra cuisine has a vast array of brinjal recipes. Today’s brinjal curry is a classic Andhra vegetarian recipe that is prepared on special occasions and can be considered for a party vegetarian menu. Quite a few Andhra vantalu (dishes) call for the use of sesame seeds.

Raw mango not only adds a tangy punch to this earthy pachadi but enhances the taste of sauteed brinjals that are blended in roasted cumin, red chillis and garlic and tempered with mustard seeds and aromatic curry leaves.

Quick and simple eggplant stir fry with few ingredients. The addition of ginger-green chilli paste and the presence of spices especially hing (asafoetida) work a subtle magic on the sauteed brinjals, deepening the flavor, making it taste divine.

Bagara Baingan ~ Stuffed Eggplant Curry Bagara Baingan ~ Exotic eggplant at its best! One of my very favorite brinjal curry, the kind I’d serve not only my loved ones but also my close friends and guests. The vibrant stuffing has a rich unique flavor, spicy, tangy and nutty with a hint of sweetness and [...]

Its July and its raining. Overcast skies and drizzles have made their appearance in Vizag. Monsoon that has been long overdue has finally arrived and hopefully we will have good rains this year. On many a rain-filled day you will find me serving hot chocolate to Nehal while we adults enjoy a hot cuppa of [...]

Vankaya Vepudu – Eggplant Stir fry A family favorite especially during festive meals. Eggplants aka Vankaya hold a special place in a typical Andhra meals especially on festive days or wedding feasts. For Ugadi our lunch spread would have been incomplete without this subtle sweet-flavored stir fry. Simple to prepare, the key to this recipe [...]

Pachi (raw) Pulusu (stew prepared with tamarind) is a traditional classic Andhra dish, made with simple ingredients and served with hot steamed rice, mudda pappu (cooked tur dal) and vadiyalu. It also goes very well with pulagam or kandi pachadi and rice. I love this recipe for its utter simplicity and not to mention, its [...]

Lima beans and eggplants are one of my all time favorite vegetable combinations. We prepare a mudda kura (a hotch potch of sorts) where plump beans merge with soft eggplants and ginger-garlic-green chillis-coriander paste to create a flavorful Andhra classic that is sure to brighten up one’s meal. Spread it as a sandwich filling, eat [...]

Brinjals rule and more so in Andhra. I’d even go on to say that it makes the summer bearable. I find this purple beauty with a glossy skin to be the most good-looking vegetable around at the rythu bazaar (famer’s market). There is something about this versatile summer vegetable that gets me excited whenever I [...]

Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine started a monthly food blog event, Regional Cuisines of India (RCI) where each month one regional cuisine is showcased. This month RCI is showcasing Andhra Cuisine, which is being hosted by the lovely Latha of Masala Magic. It is in events like this, one can find some traditional hard-to-find culinary gems [...]